By CPDC Staff; Compiled by Megan Randall, CPDC Undergraduate Career Coach 

This week, in honor of Giving Tuesday – the global generosity movement – members of our CPDC team have been reflecting on the generosity we’ve each experienced throughout our careers. To contribute to the movement, we’d like to take a moment to express our gratitude, and pay it forward by sharing our best career advice with you as you continue on your own career journeys.   

 

CPDC Staff’s Expressions of Gratitude: 

• I’m thankful to have learned that just because you aren’t officially in a leadership position, doesn’t mean you can’t lead! You can lead by example and move the organization forward no matter your job title. – Crystal Cory, CPDC Undergraduate Career Coach 
• I am sincerely grateful for my job at the University of Utah CPDC. Even though I don’t see my co-workers in person and it can be isolating working on a computer daily in my basement, I still feel supported and like I am part of a fun, hard-working, productive, and compassionate team. – Leslie Bolton, CPDC Employer Engagement Specialist  
• I’m thankful for my first Hall Director who also gave me my first ever job at a university as a Resident Assistant. I was still shy and insecure about my abilities and she saw a leadership potential in me, and encouraged me to apply. I count her as one of my very first mentors, and am so grateful she gave me a chance to build my confidence and find a passion for working in education. – Mary Arola, CPDC Undergraduate Career Coach 
• I’m grateful to a friend who told me, “Don’t just take care of yourself, be kind to yourself” years ago. I’ve applied this idea to all aspects of my life since then. When things get tough, her words remind me to pause, check in with myself, reflect on what’s happening, and take time to think through how different decisions would affect mine and others’ holistic well-being before making any next moves. – Megan Randall, CPDC Undergraduate Career Coach 
• I am grateful to a coworker who pushed me to speak up when I was in a previous role, where I felt like my voice didn’t matter and that I wouldn’t be able to provide anything  of value at all. It paid off in the end! Advocate for yourself. – Shay Enstrom, CPDC Social Media Intern 

 

CPDC Staff’s Best Career Advice:  

• Set your boundaries early. It is way easier to set boundaries upfront than to walk behavior back later. – Crystal Cory  
• Advice I recently learned from a mental fitness webinar was to see the good – Look for and remember the things that are going well in your life. – Leslie Bolton 
• Don’t get too caught up on making the “perfect” choice, make sure the choice fits with your values, needs, and interests and then go with your gut! No choice made in that way will be a waste, you will always learn something valuable. – Mary Arola  
• Don’t be afraid to create a job or internship opportunity for yourself if you don’t see anything posted that excites you and/or if what you’re interested in doesn’t exist. When you take initiative to tell others about your interests, ask for their help, pitch your ideas, and explore what’s possible, you can create exciting new opportunities! – Megan Randall 
• Don’t pass up opportunities EVER and learn from EVERYONE that you can. Just because someone’s role isn’t directly associated with you does not mean they don’t have insights that could help you down the road. – Shay Enstrom