What I do: I am Assistant Director of Development at Alverno College. My job is to raise money to support the Alverno Fund, which is mostly unrestricted cash that funds student scholarships, faculty and staff salaries and campus improvements.
How I got my job: My dream job was to work not only in development but within an academia setting. I was very strategic and worked hard to receive approval to complete my internship and work within the Alverno development department. My internship proved to be key when applying for jobs. By completing my internship at Alverno I was able to network with other professionals working within the development field especially our own alumnae, I wrote several proposals that I would later use in my portfolio and interviewing process and I gained the respect of the Alverno development staff members which helped me to obtain my current position.
How I use my Alverno education: My marketing and business education is imperative to me being successful in my profession. I compare development to working within the sales field but instead of selling a product, I sell a “feeling.” I am continually using my marketing knowledge and implementing the marketing skills I gained from my Alverno classes. My business skills are utilized daily, as development is about strategizing and analyzing the strategies to measure success.
How I define career success: I define career success as an answer to this question ~ does my job contribute to my personal happiness? If I am able to say: I love my job –if I can, that truly means to me, career success. My career needs to challenge, inspire and motivate, my job does. My current position also allows me to put my child first, which is important, as I identify one of my priorities and values “family first.” Also, I believe that part of career success is knowing that you will gain work experience from your current position that will let you grow as an individual and as a professional.
Tips from the field: My tip: network, network and network. When you apply for a job in today’s market – you are one of 200 people, most people today receive employment because they KNEW or were RECOMMENDED by someone. The development field is about communication which includes networking. I am currently a member of two professional organizations; I am on quite a few e-mail “networking” lists and have monthly lunches with other development staff members across the state, therefore building a professional support system and contact list if I would ever choose to pursue or change employment.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF NETWORKING!
