For my informational interview I did a mock interview by listening to a lady give more details about the Human Services career field and what I can do with the degree and even mentioned to go as far as furthering my education beyond my Bachelor’s. Because I had trouble finding an informational interview for my field, I watched a video about information interviews and what to expect then I watched a video of someone who works in the Human Services field. What I learned from watching the information interview is that informational interviews are simply just to inform a future interested employee in a particular company. Also when looking for a company to do an informational interview with you should do research on the company and come with many APPROPRIATE questions to show you are actually interested and to show that you’ve done your research. I also learned that you should thank the company before and after the interview to show you appreciate them taking time to meet with you and answering your questions. In the interview the person that the interviewee met with gave great advice like, staying in school and finishing getting your degree and to also take as many opportunities as you can to get internship and as much of experience as you can. And also to network that will help you get a job after graduation when your name is known, especially for being a good, dedicated student and worker.

Here’s the link to my interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giKpyi-5B6A

What I learned from watching the video of a lady in my field was that Human Services is a variety agencies and the program is very flexible. A person could major in Human Service as an undergrad and have all the requirement necessary for a job in Business Administration or to become a Teacher, etc. Most people choose Human Services as a major if they plan on pursuing a masters because a few different Universities offer the 4+1 curriculum, where a undergrad can get their Master’s in just 1 year but that depends on your concentration. The lady from the video also mentioned that if you choose not to get your Master’s and enter the work field Human Services still allows for a person to get a good job working in their particular interest area. Also, EXPERIENCE is a big deal when it comes to Human Services. When applying for jobs with a Human Services major sometimes they may not be as concerned with what your GPA is in college compared to the amount of experience a potential employee has on his or her resume. Lastly, she talked about how writing is an important factor when it comes to getting a job in the Human Services field that’s why two English courses are required.

Here’s the link to the Informative video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r3jmCnrx_c

I can’t really come up with a career plan at this moment because I’m not quite sure what I want to do as a future job just yet! But I can make up a plan of what I want to do in general as if I knew what job I wanted. My short term goal would be to get a paid internship my junior or senior year, if that’s possible. My long term goal would be to use the experience I receive from my internship or prior jobs to further my career, in hopes of making a lot more money and being financially stable.

MAN! This sophomore seminar class has made me think about things that I’ve tried to put off for a while now because I get so stressed and frustrated thinking about my major and the job I want after college because I just don’t know yet! But I’m just being asked to give a description of my “ideal” job so here it is:

My perfect job would be working with people in a dance studio! If dancers got paid a stable salary of $50 to $70 grand a year I’d love it even more. I would want to live in a suburban area, I like city life but could never really live in the city. I would like to be the manager of the dance studio and be able to go into classes and teach some and even join the classes. I would want my dream job to have normal 9 to 5 hours with some flexibility if I have children. My dream company to work with would be Abby Lee Dance Company, but that’s just a dream!

The second paragraph is my ideal dream job, but my actual plan and how things are looking right is; I could see myself working in a suburban area or the city, I’m more than willing to relocate if the money is better. I would still like my hours to be 9 to 5 with some flexibility. I am willing to travel as long as it’s not to long of a drive. I want to work in an environment that is in-between quiet and loud & professional and laid-back. I would not want to be monitored very closely I like my space! I would want to help people, so I guess that’s working with people most of the time. I would prefer to work for a well established big industry because that usually means more money. As you can tell financial stability is very important to me. I’d prefer if my pay matched my performance, and I am a hard worker 😉

After being presented with this question I really had to take time and sit back and just think. I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really know what I want to do with my major after college but, I do know that I want to work in a field within my Major/Minor. I know at this point I need to be figuring out what it is that I truly want to do but it’s hard to decide because there’s something I’m good at and have been doing it for awhile part of my life but I have no interest in it (Business) then there’s something else I want to do that I have interest in but don’t know exactly what it is I want to do with it(Human Service/Psychology).

1. What are your skill sets?
– I am pretty good with people and listening to their problems and trying to help steer them in the right direction.

2.Do they match your desired career goals?
– Those specific skills I named in number 1 could help with my career goals depending on the job I want to get after college.

3. How can you further strengthen those skills?
– I could further strengthen my skills by getting more practice, possibly an internship and by getting the education that I need.

4. What are your weaknesses?
– My biggest weakness would be not have confidence in myself and in my work.

5. How can you strengthen and/or compensate for those weaknesses?
– By simply believing in myself and knowing that I can do the job I have worked so very hard to get to.

6. How will your intended major(s) and/or minor(s) further develop your skills?
– My major/minor will help me develop those skills by being able to learn more about what it is that I am interested in and I will have a better understanding.

The question was presented, “Is it better to study what you love or what you think will get you  job?” It is truly a hard question to answer. I personally have my own battle with this question, simply because I do have a passion that I would love to do as my future job which is dancing. I love all aspects of my dancing. But realistically I could not major in dance because of financial security reasons. How many dancers actually make it big? It can be done with a lot of hard work and dedication but not everyone makes it and I need to have some security.

So here’s how I see it, you should major in something that will get you a job but it should also be something you’re interested in. BUT never let go of your true passion. There are ways you can do a job that will make you money, that you at least have some interest in, so you don’t stress about making ends meet AND doing what you love on the side. Just because I’m not a dance major does that mean I can no longer dance and possibly get discovered? No! I can have a degree under my belt and still do what I truly love to do. Sometimes if you’re lucky, what you love to do can also make you money as well. For example, if you want to be a doctor because you like the feeling you get knowing you have helped somebody and saved someone else’s life. You get to do what you love and make lots of money!

I would say choosing a major in college is a tough choice to make, especially when we’re all so young and change our minds about things everyday. But with some help and guidance you’ll figure out what is best for you and hopefully like it. Good luck on your journey!

Today, in our first Sophomore Seminar class we set up our blogs. We’ll be using the blog to answer homework questions then putting the links on canvas. I think this is an effective way for Mrs. Latoya to know how the students feel about their majors and different aspects of college and our transitions for next year.