-
1 of 10
-
2 of 10
-
3 of 10
-
4 of 10
-
5 of 10
-
6 of 10
-
7 of 10
-
8 of 10
-
9 of 10
-
10 of 10
College grad says success in the real world takes early planning
Archive
Comments
Story
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – The Alta Coffee & Roasting Co.
is a cool enough place. Tucked into an eclectic neighborhood on
31st St., it serves a good latte and the occasional poetry reading
or music jam.
It’s just not the kind of workplace Melissa English had
envisioned while studying for a business/economics degree at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.
But there she was, a high school valedictorian who graduated
from college with honors, pouring coffee and politely asking if she
should leave room for cream.
Her credentials , no clue what to do in the real world , helped
her rapidly advance to the position of president and CEO of the
“I’ve got my degree, now what?” club.
Meanwhile, she cringed each time she took an order from a young,
well-dressed professional who apparently had figured out how to put
his or her education to good use.
English tells this cruel story on herself.
She left the coffee house about two years ago, did accounting
work for six months, got laid off and now works in the mortgage
industry, at Duxford Financial Inc. in Newport Beach.
She also wrote a pair of booklets that she hopes will prevent
other students from stumbling around the way she did on her way
from school to career.
The booklets are aimed at high school and college students, with
slight variations.
The college edition, with a yellow caution sign on the cover, is
titled “The College-Educated Waiter; How are you going to
apply your degree?” The high school edition has a red cover:
“Valedictorian turned Waiter; Why you need to think about
careers NOW!”
English self-published the booklets and is looking for a way to
distribute them in high schools and colleges.
“I learned too late that college is only part of the
puzzle,” she said. “You have to plan for a career. Just
because you have a degree doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a
professional job you will love. You have to do the legwork. …
early on in your college experience. The time to start thinking
about careers is now!”
She repeats this last line several times, concerned that
students will dismiss it.
The books are written in a fun, breezy style, with helpful
exercises and illustrations drawn by a friend.
They include letters from other students, some who successfully
found jobs they liked and some who thought the perfect career would
magically appear within weeks after graduation.
English, 25, still lives in Newport Beach and thrives on the
California lifestyle, surfing and snowboarding and playing
guitar.
But the grief still quivers in her face as she ticks off some of
her advice for students who have no career direction.
Don’t pay for tuition , or let parents pay, before
you’ve investigated jobs or careers you might like doing
someday.
Do use the career center and library, but keep going. Get some
hands-on experience in fields that interest you.
Do internships early , junior and senior year of high
school.
Network with people in the field you’re pursuing.
Don’t choose a college major first. Choose a career
first.
English offers herself up as an “unsuccessful role
model.”
“You think you’re doing everything right, being
really focused on classes, working hard and getting good
grades,” she said. “But it wasn’t a very good
plan because I didn’t know where I was going.
“Once you’re out of school, your flexibility goes
down the drain. You might not find out until then that you
don’t like sitting in a cubicle, but you still have bills to
pay.”
English thought she was being practical when she chose business
and economics as a major. Her father took the same approach and is
a successful computer engineer. Her mother, an artist, nudged her
in that direction.
Only now does English realize she ignored many of her own
creative talents and interests because she was so focused on
getting a degree.
After college, she began custom-painting furniture and
occasionally sells her pieces, and she takes on interior-design
projects.
But that’s likely to remain a side interest because she
intends to go back to school for a master’s degree.
While at UCSB, English explored resources at the career center,
but found the “2-inch thick books” to be intimidating.
She wishes she had started looking for career guidance in high
school, peppering counselors with more questions about career
fields than college applications. She wishes she had taken more
time to get on-the-job experience to augment her studies.
“Most schools just aren’t addressing this issue, and
if they do it’s sporadic,” she said. “Until they
do, it’s up to parents to encourage children to explore
careers early.”
The parents of one of her high school chums did get involved,
encouraging their child to network in the field of graphic arts and
work as an intern during senior year. The girl discovered how much
she liked it and focused her efforts in that direction.
“By the time she was a senior in college, she had
relationships with companies and knew exactly what she wanted to
do,” English said. “She had a much easier transition
into the work force. My parents loved me just as much as hers did,
but they weren’t as specific about what I needed to
do.”
English has discovered that some parents are worried that
students won’t go to college if they get interested in a
career field first. So she’s careful to stress that
she’s an advocate of a college education, so long as students
also study how to apply it.
“You hear about these people who change careers six or
seven times,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s
because they never found one that really fit.”
Michele Himmelberg
The Orange County Register (KRT)
