Abilene Christian University January/February 2005
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Let Us Take Care of Each of Other
Dear Angus
Career Connections
Alumni Career Profile
“Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as
God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.”
1 Peter 5:2 (NIV)
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Let us take care of each other
No student should struggle or suffer alone at
Abilene Christian University. The rich resources that are available on campus are amazing. The faculty and staff’s willingness to support students with their wisdom and love is no secret.
Although this care is available to students, there are still students who struggle alone, who don’t know where to go for help, or who are not even aware that they need help.
As part of the body of Christ, everyone at ACU has a responsibility to look out for each other.
This care is not just the duty of the faculty and staff but falls to students as well. The student-tostudent caring relationship is important because it is the grassroots level relationship on campus.
Students’ caring eyes and ears are on a level that faculty and staff are not always able to reach and to penetrate. ACU students go out on many missions and benevolence trips each year, but they also have a mission to care and serve each other on the ACU campus.
This caring for each other should not be an overwhelming assignment because it is done with the full backing of ACU’s rich resources. It is also true that students are not always informed about what kinds of services are available on campus. That is one of the reasons our office developed the SOS system. Our goal with SOS is to assist the caring people at ACU. So when a student wants to care for a friend and does not know what to do or where to go, our office is there to help.
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When our office gets a call or receives an email about a struggling student, a qualified counselor contacts the student and ensures that she/he gets connected with the appropriate resources. We want to invite every student to become part of the circle of care at ACU. Call us or come by our office if we can assist you in caring for fellow students. Our office is situated on the lower level of McKinzie.
Faculty and staff have a referral form under the quicklinks section of their myACU homepage to refer students to our office. Students can call us at x6400 or email us at deon.botha@acu.edu
, or even better bring the student that you are concerned about to our office. Let us all work towards the goal of making sure that no one struggles or suffers alone on ACU’s campus.
Dear Angus
Dear Angus:
I do not have a major, yet, but a lot of my friends do. They’re always talking about the classes they are taking and what they are going to do when they graduate, and I’m still taking the basic core classes. I’m starting to feel a bit panicky. Should I be worried that I don’t have a major, yet? What if I choose the wrong major?
Clueless on Campus
Dear Clueless, first of all, try not to panic. It may feel as if the world is passing you by as you listen to your friends’ conversations, but that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, about half of the people who come to college (any college, not just
ACU) with a major in mind will end up changing that major at least once before they graduate. So look at it this way, at least you’re not the one in denial about not being sure about what you want to do with the rest of your life. 
Secondly, discovering what you want to “be when you grow up” isn’t just a switch that is triggered when you reach a certain age, status or
2 maturity level. It is a process, a journey. It is a time of exploring who you really are and what you really want out of your life. And the goal of this process of self-discovery is not to find a major as soon as you possibly can, the everelusive one major that is right for you out there
(which is, by the way, a myth). The goal should rather be one of narrowing your focus from all of the possible majors available to you down to a few areas that you can then explore in greater depth. Once you do that, you can try each of those few majors on to see how they fit. Wriggle around in them a bit to make sure they’re comfortable.
Now let’s address the “What if I choose the wrong
major?” part of your question. Try not to focus on choosing a major. Instead, focus on choosing a
career. You will only be in school a few years.
That’s nothing compared to how long you will be in the work force, God willing. With very few exceptions, your major will not determine what your career is going to be -- you will:
 Once understood and embraced by you, the different aspects of who you are, your personality, your value system, your strengths and gifts, will point the way toward a career you were made for, something you were built to be motivated by and excel in.
 Once you know what career you want to pursue, it becomes much simpler to figure out what major will best help you in that career. And finally, keep in mind two things:
1) Most undergraduate majors can lead to a variety of careers, and
2) People typically change careers 2-3 times throughout their life as their interests and skills change with experience.
Remember you aren’t limited by anything or anyone other than yourself.
If you have a question for Angus, send it to
DearAngus@acu.edu
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Online Career Library
What are the top 35 industries? What is the typical career path in your chosen industry? What salary should you expect? What would a typical day be like for you?
To answer these questions and many more, ACU provides students with
VAULT, an online career library. Some of the information available includes:
Download Guides
There are 60+ guides that would cost over $1000 to purchase individually. They’re all here free for your use. Topics include guides to schmoozing, creating resumes and cover letters, premium employer profiles, top internships, and industry specific guides.
Company Research
Search by name or industry and read the latest on 2,500+ employers.
Learn about company history, current events, hiring information, and more.
Industry Research
Research the top 35 industries from investment management to manufacturing. Find out details on career paths, salary ranges, and industry outlook.
Career Advice
Read 1,100 articles on the most important career topics. Read about a day in the life of top professionals, get advice on job search tactics, consider going to graduate school, and view the results of 831 occupational surveys.
Message Boards
See what a current employee has to say about a particular company.
Participate in message boards with topics on specific companies and industries, graduate school, and career advice.
To use VAULT, create a CareerLink account and click on “ACU’s online career library.”
Do You Have a Mentor?
“I really want to go into (industry/profession) when I graduate, but I have no idea how to get there.” Does that sound like something you would say? It’s not uncommon for a college student to feel this way. You may feel prepared for a career academically, but not have the information you need to get started in a specific area. It sounds like you need a mentor.
This is where the Office of Career and Academic Development and its online career management system, CareerLink
( www.acu.edu/careerlink ), can help. A mentor is someone who has been “in your shoes” and can share his or her story in order to assist you in reaching your career goals. Currently, CareerLink contains over 750 mentor profiles. CareerLink allows you to search for a mentor by who graduated with a particular degree, lives in particular city/state, works in a specific industry, etc. Once you find a profile that interests you, you are able to contact that person directly. To search for a mentor, create a
CareerLink account and click on the “Mentor Search” tab.
www.acu.edu/careerlink
CareerLink, ACU’s online career management system, is THE BEST way to:
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Discover career options
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Connect with ACU alumni
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Post resumes, cover letters, and projects online
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Search the ACU employer database
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Find internships and jobs
 Sign up for on-campus interviews
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Sign up for career workshops and events
Get started today!
1) Go to www.acu.edu/careerlink
2) Click on “Student Login”
3) Click on “Click here to register”
4) Complete registration form, using your legal first and last name and
5)
Banner ID
Upload your resume, if available… Don’t have one?
Attend our resume workshops!
How do I know if this is the best internship for me?
Does the internship provide:
 Meaningful work experiences?
 Intellectual stimulation?
 Opportunities to work independently?
 Exposure to outstanding colleagues?
 Recognition for achievements?
 A supervisor whose personality suits yours?
Does the organization:
 Have a good reputation and image?
 Invest in improving its products or services?
 Engage in ethical practices?
Source: Career Center,
University of Maryland
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Title: Marketing Manager
Industry: Advertising
Do your homework to figure out what skills you have and leverage those to the best of your ability. If you’re thick-skinned and determined, Advertising Sales is a good fit.
If you’re a people person, Client/Vendor interaction, or Media Planning is a good fit.
If you’re a negotiator, tending to thrive in confrontation—go the Media Buying route.
Advertising is a great industry. You will take on tons of responsibility even as an entry-level employee, making tons of relationships in the process.
I started out doing an international internship right after graduating ACU, working in the marketing department of the
Queens Park Rangers soccer team in
London. Then, I interned for 9 months with
Octagon Marketing, working in their consulting division. Next, I took an entry level assistant media planner position with a
NY Advertising Agency, working there for
2 years on clients such as P&G, New
Balance, Welch’s, and Bermuda Tourism.
Most of my time was dedicated to the New
Balance client, at which point I dealt a lot with the print/publishing community (my current employer was a large vendor of ours that I worked closely with). I placed print ads, negotiated rates, marketed programs, etc. I became more and more familiar with their properties and knew that I needed to take my media/sports background to the next
4 level, so I moved on to my current employer
(my former vendor).
Don’t be afraid to be honest, loyal, and trustworthy. People will recognize that you’re different and appreciate the extra efforts you make. I’ve been lucky to find and work with people who have high work standards like mine. We’re fortunate to have options in life – surround yourself in an environment where the people will help you in your career and ultimately to become a better person.
Kate Hickl
ACU Graduate 2001
Provided by ACU’s CareerLink
(www.acu.edu/careerlink)
Come and See Us!
Office of Career & Academic Development
Northern Entrance
McKinzie Hall
Lower Level
ACU Box 28180
(325) 674-6400 http://www.acu.edu/careercounseling