Career Services Event: Employeer Pannel:Nonprofit, Foundations and Government Careers

On Wednesday I attend the Nonprofit, Foundations and Government Employer Panel at the downtown campus. There were five people on the panel that provided information on their organization or agency as well as career advice to participants. First was the southwest recruiter for the CIA. She explained the many types of employment opportunities within the CIA as well as how their internships worked. For those of you who are looking to change career paths and become a spy, the internship program is only for freshman and sophomore's. Sorry!

Second, was a woman from the City of Phoenix Head Start Program. She did an excellent job describing the difficulties of running a federally funded program within a city agency. In addition she discussed the many job opportunities in her department including family support case workers, head start preschool teachers and teachers assistants.

Third, was a woman from the State of Arizona Department of Administration. She has developed an internship program that links students to various state agencies for college credit internships. She will even help you to find an internship that fits your interest and passions.

A gentleman from the Rodel Foundation of Arizona spoke about his journey from classroom teacher, to a principal to the program director of the MacRo Math program that provides funding for increased math education and math curriculum training for teachers in high need schools. It was inspiring to hear him speak about starting as a teacher and touching 30 children's lives a year and now touching thousands of children's lives a year.

Last was a public interest advocate from Arizona Public Interest Research Group. As a marketing major at ASU she was planning to enter the for-profit world after graduation. After an internship with a large airline she discovered that this was not the environement she wanted to work in. Later she took an internship with a local advocacy group and remains happily working in this field today.

Each of the panel members had something in common, they chose a career path that they loved. Although each of them gave different advice, they all had a common theme don't choose the job that makes you the most money, choose the job that brings you the most happiness.