The 5 Paths of Personal and Professional Success

On Friday, August 7th, my co-worker, Michele Roberts, and I attended a workshop by Dr. Zebulun Davenport, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at Indiana University. His workshop was titled 5 Tools to Create Success In Your Personal and Professional Life.

In this workshop, Dr. Zebulun gave 5 tips that we could start using immediately to improve our lives:

1. Start your day with a positive attitude.

2. Set goals in your life and stay focused on those goals.

3. Take responsibility for your life and actions.

4) Take advantage of the here and now.

5) Laugh sometimes.

As Dr. Zebulun talked about his "5 Tools", he also gave extra important lessons to keep in mind. One of them was that life is too short to worry about what others think of us, what we are and what we do. It is important to grow in ways that are authentic to you. Also notable was when he defined FEAR as "false experiences appearing real."

I am glad I took the time to see this workshop. The messages in it were simple but still impactful, and an effective pick-me-up as we get very close to the start of the Fall semester.

Try to see how you can use these 5 tools in your life starting today. And, as Dr. Zebulun says, success is the journey not the destination.

Nayelli Perez

Assistant Director

Life Lessons from my Betta Fish

About a year ago, I brought home a Betta fish, and (creatively) named him Nugget. The picture you see above is from when I first got him in March, and he was happily swimming around the bowl. A little while after, Nugget got pretty sick and his fins started degrading, which heavily impacted his activity. He more or less stayed at the bottom of his bowl and did not swim around as much as he used to. Long story short, I did some research to figure out what was happening and why he didn't seem as bubbly (no pun intended) as he was when I first got him, found him the appropriate medicine, and Nugget recovered and began swimming around again.

However, even though Nugget recovered, his fins never grew back to the extent they did when I first got him and that still impacts his swimming today. Despite that, Nugget continues to be a happy fish and still gets just as excited when I feed him in the morning!

Thinking outside of the fish bowl, I realized there are things we can all take from Nugget's story: Sometimes life happens; you get sick or obstacles get in your way that impact how easily you can reach your goal. In the end, your resiliency will get you through! Any obstacle that gets in your way, do your research to learn the best way to tackle your situation, turn to your support networks, and keep your goal in mind; whether that be to overcome swimming difficulty and eat those Betta fish food pellets or to apply for that internship that seems out of reach. 

Depending on your obstacle, there are plenty of resources you can utilize right here at Hofstra! From the Counseling Center, Services for Students with Disabilities, to the Multicultural & International Student Programs, there are plenty of people you can turn to for support.

And as always, when it comes to your career path, let us at the Career Center be your support to overcome your obstacles and reach your goal! 

Anne Monique Concepcion,
Graduate Assistant

Resolutions

We’ve all made New Year’s Resolutions. Some have stuck, some haven’t. What’s your resolution for 2015? Whether it’s to quit smoking, go to the gym, get organized, kick the caffeine addiction, or find an internship, here are some tips that might help:

• Write down your resolution and put it someplace where you can see it.  A visual reminder will help keep your resolution in the forefront of your mind.
• Make sure your goal is attainable and realistic.  Resolving to be the CEO of Google by the end of 2015 might not be the best way to go about it, but resolving to get an internship at a tech company might be.
• Tell others. Telling friends or family about your resolution will keep you more accountable.  Knowing that others might ask about your progress can help with your motivation.
• Break your goal down into smaller steps.  If your resolution is to get an internship secured for the summer, maybe your first step is to make a list of companies that you would like to work for.  Then, the next step could be to visit The Career Center to work on a resume and discuss internship options.
• Give yourself a timeline for each of these smaller steps.  For example, tell yourself that you will have your resume updated by February 1.
• Keep your eye on the prize!  Think how good it will feel once you can look back at the end of 2015 and know that you accomplished your goal. 

Don’t forget that The Career Center is here for you and can help you set you plans into action!

Darlene Johnson,
Director of External Relations

Networking Connections

Last night, I met with students in the GOLD program through the Office of Student Leadership & Activities.  We discussed the topic of networking skills and mingling etiquette.  Two of the questions I posed to them were, “who is in your network?” and “who are the people, clubs and organizations that might help you achieve these goals?” All twelve students were able to come up with healthy sized lists.  However, they forgot the most obvious – each other! 

Some of our best networks are the people around us, those who see us almost everyday, whether that is family, friends, other students, faculty or administrators.  These people can help you in a variety of ways.  For instance, these people (a.k.a “Connections”) all know other people.  Last night, one student mentioned that he had a family member in the film industry in California.  Another student talked about how his cousins were successful attorneys.  Certainly, this information or these connections could help others in the group.  That brings me to the word “help.”  Those who know you, those who interact with you on a daily basis tend to want to see you succeed.  They want to help you on this journey and help you make connections.  Don’t be afraid to ask.  We are all here to help.

Here is a simple blog post from the site InternMatch.com that I think is really useful as you embark on this journey of making connections and asking for help. 

Suzanne Dagger, Director of
Career Development and Assessment