Thriving In Your Niche
Sthefanny is an Associate Scientist at Breedlove, Dennis & Associates, Inc. Environmental Consultants. Views are her own.
"This week was the first time I worked over 50 hours at my big girl job and by the end of the week I was hands down the happiest person in the world. I love what I do SO much that on Fridays I already can’t wait for it to be Monday again! Ideally, that is what everyone wants in life and I am so grateful to have it. Question is... how do you get there? How do you find opportunities in the field that you love?! I’m a scientist for an environmental consulting firm and even though that is directly correlated to what I went to school for, I had no idea environmental consulting was even a thing until after I graduated and was frantically looking for a job. Granted, I like to live life on the edge and left the whole “finding a job thing” for last minute, but regardless of your personality type I will walk you through the process of achieving success within your niche and *fingers crossed* avoiding the whole hyperventilating-neurotic stage of not knowing what to do with your life.
Choosing a major in college is challenging, usually because you don’t even know what you want to eat for lunch let alone what you want to do for the rest of your life. You are required to pick something that will not only make you happy but also financially support you and your future family…no pressure. With that said, the most important factor is to determine what you are passionate about. However, it is important to remember that not everything you are interested in SHOULD be turned into a career. For instance, just because you love scuba diving doesn’t mean you should become a cave diver; sometimes our interests should stay as fun hobbies we partake in on the weekends. Secondly, you should be realistic with your goals. If your goal in life is to own a Tesla, a four story mansion, two vacation homes, and travel the world, then realistically your major probably shouldn’t involve work in non-profit organizations. Now, if your goal in life is to help others and don’t care how much your annual income is, then non-profit orgs can definitely be your thing.
I grew up loving the outdoors and passionate about making a difference in the world, so finding a career path was interesting because I had no idea what kind of job I could get. All I knew was that I was a huge science nerd and wanted to one day be a scientist. So I majored in Natural Resource Conservation with a minor in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, and although I LOVED the curriculum I had no idea what kind of job I could get once I graduated. So I volunteered at the local science center, joined the forestry club and marine biology club at my university, and worked at the shark laboratory at the Museum of Natural History, in hopes that something would lead me in the direction of my dream job. As graduation approached I realized I LOVED my major but was further away than ever to knowing what job I was qualified for. Don’t get me wrong, these experiences definitely helped me build my resume but my field of interest still seemed so vague. I felt like one of those kids who major in chemistry and minor in theater because they have NO IDEA what they want to do in life (not that there’s anything wrong with chemistry & theater, I mean I’d TOTALLY go watch a musical on the atomic theory).
When in a specific field the only way you can figure out what job you want to get is to put yourself out there. Volunteer, participate in internships, or help out professors or graduate students with any projects they are working on. This will help you figure out what you like and don’t like. For instance, I figured out real quick that I didn’t want to be stuck in a lab 10 hours a day and that florescent lighting is just not good for my skin. Looking back I would’ve put more emphasis on applying to internships early on in my college career because that is ultimately what will not only give you experience but lead you to other opportunities, and potentially land you your future job.
Going to college wasn’t easy. I was the first person in my family to graduate from a university and I paid for everything myself, through academic scholarships and two jobs. From the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself to not only be successful but above all, to make my family proud. I was incredibly passionate about my education but I was a big procrastinator when it came to planning my future. I spent my last year in college living in the moment instead of job hunting or searching for post-graduate internships. I just wanted to make it to graduation and then sleep for a week straight. I thought-- I’ll catch up on my sleep, relax, send out a couple of resumes, have a flawless interview, get my dream job, and live happily ever after. Man was I wrong! Time flew by and before I knew it, 6 months had passed since I graduated and I hadn’t even started sending out my resume. According to USA Today, it takes an average of 3-9 months for a college graduate to find employment. So panic started setting in, I started to feel like such a failure, and my confidence was non-existent. I began applying to companies all over the country, sending my resume out to at least 3 companies a day, and it just felt like my applications were going to a black hole in cyber space.
This was such a foreign concept to me, I ALWAYS got everything I applied for, people love me, I’m amazing…why am I not hearing anything back from anyone? Just when I was losing all hope and doubting every decision I had made to this point (my major, my experience, my existence) one of my mentors contacted me with a list of firms her archeology company had worked with before. So I sent out my resume to all 7 companies and a month later I heard back from one! I interviewed with the president and vice-president of this environmental consulting firm, and to this day I swear I have never perspired more in my life than in those 45 minutes (seriously, I didn’t know my body could produce so much sweat). Anyways, I got the job and the rest is history.
Being a scientist is definitely one of the highlights of my life, but all I could think about afterwards, is how much EASIER my life would’ve been if I would’ve started the job hunting process SOONER. So, I would just like to take this time to say that no matter how many leadership positions you hold in college, how many scholarships you’re awarded, or how many honors organizations you’re in, the real world is COMPLETELY different. You have to prove yourself to everyone and this time you’re competing with people who did better than you in school and who were involved in more than you, so you have to find a way to stand out. Also, ALWAYS be the best version of yourself; only give people good things to say about you and your work ethic because that is what they will remember when they are referring you to future employers or recommending you to their peers.
Below is a list, in chronological order*, of what you can do to ensure you amplify your opportunities (in a timely manner) in the field you choose and hopefully avoid any mental breakdowns:
Freshman year—Join clubs related to your interests & explore your career resource center! (Great place to start finding a spot within your niche and building relationships with people with similar interests. Also, the [C]areer [R]esource [C]enter will help you build your resume and practice your interviewing skills for all those internships you’ll have lined up)
Sophomore year—INTERNSHIPS!!! (I cannot say it enough; experience is everything in life…literally all entry level positions will ask for experience, SO GO GET IT!)
Junior year—Participate in an undergraduate project/research or assist a graduate student in their project/research (Great opportunity to not only figure out what you like but also to bond with professors and peers)
Senior year—Go to conferences & explore your professional connections! (Present or just go to network; it is crucial to interact with industries in the real world and get your name out there in order to land a job!)
*This list offers reference points of when you should start participating in these activities but of course, customize it as needed. It’s just always good to have some kind of road map to follow, kind of like an “opportunity board” on Pinterest?
Bonus Tip—Look up jobs in your field of interest and read through the job descriptions (again, the earlier you do this the better). Doing this was the most helpful when I was job hunting because it spelled out exactly what was involved in each position and what I needed in order to be qualified for such. It also helps you narrow down what you want your dream job to be and what you need to do to get it! So if you do this as a freshman or sophomore in college it will give you time to take the necessary steps to land your dream job by the time you graduate.
Best of luck, I know you will all do great!"
Sthefanny majored in Natural Resource Conservation and minored in Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences. She graduated from the University of Florida in 2014.
