While I can’t say that I’m the type of person who enjoys getting to class at 8:30 in the morning and staying there till noon, I agree with many who have blogged before me that the seminars made for a nice change of pace. I learned a little something new at each seminar, and that’s all I can really ask for! One seminar that I enjoyed in particular was the one featuring Emile Lauzzana.
Emile spoke to us about his work history and how he ended up where he currently works, the Detroit Public School’s Office of Energy Management. He described in detail his journey through the realm of career changes, each different than the last. I was taken aback by how he managed to navigate his way through the twists and turns presented to him by life itself, and was thoroughly impressed by the composure he evidently maintained amidst chaos.
While the story was astonishing, I was most interested in Emile’s similar background to my own. He too went to the University of Michigan and dedicated his education to the social sciences. Unlike natural science degrees, social science degrees are much more broadly defined, thus offering a much less clear career future to students pursuing a degree in the field. Hence, I’ve often wondered how my studies will translate into a future career.
Emile answered my question.
You’ll never know.
The best advice he could offer was to have a general direction, and hopefully you’ll end up somewhere near where you want to be. And if you don’t end up anywhere near where you thought you wanted to be, that’s fine too—you’ll discover passions you never thought you had. You just have to be patient, work hard, and maintain a positive attitude above all.
I’ve never really gotten such a blunt answer pertaining to my future, and I really appreciated that. I have always gotten the sugar-coated version of “what-happens-after-you-graduate-college,” so Emile’s advice kind of caught me off-guard. However, I agree with Emile. You can’t really plan for anything in life—you just kind of roll with it, and make the most of every moment. I never really thought to apply that mentality to career paths.
That’s just a little something I learned at seminar.
I really enjoyed that seminar too! It was great how laid back that session was and it was a nice change of pace. I also really appreciated Mr. Lauzzana’s advice. Although I have been told by some people that it’s best to not stress out about the future because it can be restricting, I sometimes forget that. It’s always nice to have a reminder!