Making the
Transition
from Student to
Professional
Jamie Jensen
Office of Admissions
Introductions
 I’ll start….
 Jamie Jensen
 Born & raised here in Iowa City
 Graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2010 with a
Bachelors Degree in Psychology
 Worked in the Admissions office as a student from June 2008-July
2010. Started full time as an Event Coordinator of Recruitment
Programs in August 2010.
More about me…
Your Turn!
 Does everyone have a starburst??
 First – introduce yourself. The usual “student affairs”
introduction – Name, hometown, year in school, major.
Then….
 Red – If you could have an endless supply of food, what
would it be?
 Yellow – What is a pet peeve of yours?
 Pink – If you were an animal, what would you be & why?
 Orange – If you could have any super power, what would
it be & why?
Preparing to be a ‘Pro’
…starts now!
 Break into groups of 5-6. In your small groups:
 What are some things you are doing now that are
preparing you to become a professional after
graduation?
Preparing to be a ‘Pro’
…starts now!
 Group work
 Classes
 Assignments
 Take classes & school work seriously
 Get Involved!
 Student Organizations
 Leadership Opportunities – conferences, guides on campus,
student government, Res Hall Government
 Volunteer
 Employment
 Utilize Resources
 Network
Cover Letter & Resume
 Your cover letter & resume are the first things your potential
employer will see, so let’s make them stand out!
 Continue to update your resume throughout your college
career.
 Get your resume critiqued! The more eyes that see it, the more
ideas & suggestions you’ll get and the stronger your resume will
be.
I GOT AN INTERVIEW!
………NOW WHAT?!
Making the Transition…
Interview Time!
 Interviews are stressful. There is no denying that. But, if you
prepare well and go into it feeling confident you will hopefully
walk out feeling the same way!
What are some easy things
you can do to prepare for
an interview?
Group Discussion
Practice! Practice! Practice!
 The more you practice your interview the more comfortable
and confident you will be going into it.
INTERVIEW TIME!
• Dress for success
• Deep breaths!
•
Prepare questions to
ask your interviewers
•
“I really want this job”;
“I really believe I’d be
great at this job”
•
Send a Thank You
note
• Answer questions
confidently
• Don’t state an answer
as a question. Avoid
“I think I’m…”
ACED MY INTERVIEW (OF
COURSE)….WAS OFFERED A JOB….
NOW WHAT?!
Do I accept? Do I want
this job? Am I going to
do this forever? Just for
now? Is student affairs
for me?
CAN I REALLY DO THIS
JOB?!?
Mom, Dad – I GOT A JOB
 Your first instinct when you get your job offer will likely be to yell
YES! into your future employers ear over the phone, which is
natural.
 BUT, remember - it is ok to take time to think before giving them
a direct answer.
Adjusting to the real world
 Schedule
 $$$$
 Fear of Failure
 Making friends with co-workers
 Get Involved
Change in my schedule
 Your new schedule will depend on the position you take, but
regardless it will be different from your current class schedule.
 Bed time? Alarms? Waking up before the sun? Say what?!
 The sooner you get into a routine the easier this adjustment will
be!
Money money money!
 Going from being a “broke college student” to getting a
paycheck every 2-4 weeks is a serious change.
 When you find out what your salary/take home pay is going to
be, start planning out a budget. It’s ok to leave a chunk for
“shopping, entertainment, & fun” in that budget, but make a
spot for “rent, utilities, loans” in there too!
Fear of failure…what am I doing?
 Don’t be afraid. The beginning of a new job can be scary.
 Ask questions! It will show you care, are paying attention, and want
to learn.
 You were hired for a reason. Your employers believe in you.
Now – believe in yourself.
 Remember those four years you spent preparing for this in college?
YOU ARE READY.
Will I make friends here?
 Being the “newbie” at a workplace is not always easy.
 Put yourself out there – let people know your interests, things
you do on the weekends, etc. It will help spark conversations
and note similarities between you and your colleagues!
 Be professional – but be yourself.
The transition is never-ending!
 Even after you get acclimated to your new workplace, new
friends & colleagues, and your new responsibilities there will still
be ways to further yourself professionally!
 Take advantage of training courses offered
 Jump at opportunities that present themselves
 Introduce yourself to other professionals in different offices and in
the community
 Tell your supervisor you’re interested in Professional Development
and have them let you know of any opportunities that come up
 Professional conferences
Please feel free to contact me with
questions or comments!
jamie-jensen@uiowa.edu
319-335-0257