In 2018 you might have been distracted and not able to attend to your goals as well as you would have liked to. Now you can!

There are many areas of our lives that need our attention including our health/ well being, relationships/family, career/business, pleasure/recreation, money/finances, spiritual /religious, learning/personal development, etc.

Which areas do you need and want to focus on this year? It might be helpful to separate out the areas and list your commitments in each of them and see what areas fall short.

There is no doubt that all of us need to pay attention to our health/well being, regardless of our age. When I was a child in grade school I distinctly remember the teacher emphasizing that good health includes your physical, mental, emotional and social well being.

Staying mentally alert is key. Studies have shown that the more complex the task the better. You may have heard that any older adults try to learn a new language or musical instrument later in life. Why wait?

Staying emotionally healthy can be tricky at times; especially, if life circumstances have not supported you, but one needs to be mindful of their emotional health and learn effective coping mechanisms to deal with change and adversity.

Social support systems are our greatest stress reducers – take the time to build sufficient support systems. This can include friends, old and new, colleagues, family members, community and religious affiliations, physicians, therapists mentors, coaches, etc.

Lastly, this might be the year to focus on your career/business development and areas that need and deserve your attention.

May this be a wonderful year for you!

Lynn Berger, Career Counselor and Coach

Do you have a take-a-way from the 2018 Strength in Diversity Conference that you would like to share?  Throughout the conference, I heard from participants that the learning was moving and reflections ran deep.  The common theme of strengths was highlighted throughout the presenations, so let's hear from you and your stories of a strength-based approach.  

Integration Program Manager at University of Maryland

Within SVPAAP-OIA-International Student & Scholar Services, this position will manage international student & scholar on-campus integration and overall cross-cultural engagement through targeted student programs, services, workshops, and orientation, as well as training for faculty and staff across campus.

For more information and to apply, please go to https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/63924.

Title: Program Director, School of Public Health
Position Number: 100311
Posting Number: E0006887
Department: VPSA-University Career Center

The posting is located under the “Staff” tab  at https://ejobs.umd.edu/, search for Position #: 100311 More details are also provided below:

Position Summary:

The Program Director, in conjunction with University Career Center & The President’s Promise (Center) staff, proactively assists students through a stage-focused career development model. The Program Director’s responsibilities include: providing individual assistance to students, customizing second-stage (e.g., experiential learning) activities for assigned college, and working collaboratively with college faculty and staff and center-based staff.

The Program Director, Center supervisor and the assigned college counterpart will jointly develop a strategic integration and implementation plan for career development that will guide the Program Director’s work. The Program Director will complement the work being done by any college-based career practitioners. Additionally, Center staff will support the Program Director’s responsibilities, by providing basic career advising for students at the first stage of development (e.g., self-assessment and career exploration), planning and logistics for college-specific career events, and providing assessment data pertinent to strategic decisions. Center located employer relations staff and alumni engagement staff will also work collaboratively with the Program Director.

The Program Director resides 4 days per week in a college-located office and spends 1 day per week in the Center. This position reports to the Senior Associate Director (Center) and may supervise a graduate assistant.

Responsibilities may include:

Student Contacts:
• Meet individually with students to help them advance through the career development stages.
• Provide students with career exposure opportunities and bring students into direct contact with the world of work.
• Help students to identify and participate in co-curricular learning opportunities.
• Assist students in building learning portfolios and articulating gained knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Teach students how to develop their own professional networks.

Faculty and Staff Collaborations:
•Prepare developmental activities for integration into curricula and co-curricular opportunities.
•Develop multifaceted forms of career exposure activities.
•Coordinate and present college-specific outreaches and customized programs.
•Support Graduation Survey data collection and college reporting efforts.

Center-Based Staff Collaborations:
•Work collaboratively with Center to enhance and diversify discipline-specific experiential learning opportunities and other career programming initiatives.
•Leverage Center resources to connect students to professional networks, including alumni ones, and help to identify potential internship and job opportunities.
•Support employer relations efforts by helping to identify potential employers, jobs and internship opportunities.
•Maintain up-to-date knowledge and information about appropriate career fields.

Administrative:
•Maintain service delivery records pertaining to career advising, programming and other career-related activities.
•Evaluate, monitor, and report on the utilization of services.
•Support Center work by assisting with programs and services, contributing to discussions, and serving on various committees.
•Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Master’s degree in counseling, student personnel, education, or related area.

Experience: At least three (3) years’ experience in career services or a related field required, including student guidance, educational programming, work with faculty and employers and administrative responsibilities.

Computer literacy required, including computer assisted guidance systems, Internet job search tools and database management systems. Demonstrated strong interpersonal and organizational skills. Excellent written communication and presentation skills. Ability to work with diverse student populations.

Preferences: Previous experience with School of Public Health career fields and/or in a comprehensive university strongly preferred

Additional Information:

Compensation: Low to mid 50’s. The University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including annual leave, sick leave, and tuition remission.

To Apply: Review of applications will begin on June 26, 2018. For best consideration, please submit a resume with cover letter and the names and contact information of three professional references by June 25, 2018.