Talking Stick - November/December 2010 - 46

Continued

finding your wAy

day to day and apply its principles when planning programs, fulfilling major departmental plans, and meeting the learning outcomes for their institutions. In some work environments, however, the administrative role is so laden with details that there is little time to consider theory during day-to-day routines. Livingston comments that the roles new professionals play are often task-oriented, and the opportunities to translate theory into practice may be confined to one-on-one meetings, advising, and mentoring opportunities. New professionals need to remember that what lies at the intersection of theory and practice is always the individual student. As is true of people in general, students will not always fit the mold prescribed by theory. As Toney explains, “In graduate school we had case studies that we clearly thought out and applied theory to. I don’t think it is always that simple applying it to the students I work with daily.”

campus. As Thompson notes, “Our department, as well as our institution, provides fantastic opportunities for professionals on campus” and it’s up to the new professional to become aware of them and to take advantage of them. One common challenge to any new job is the need to create a balance between personal and work life, and this becomes even more difficult for someone coming into a new community. Many new hires may feel that they are under a microscope at work and must prove themselves by working hard, even working outside traditional business hours in order to demonstrate their competence and commitment. Establishing one’s professional presence should not, however, come at the expense of one’s personal life. Those new to a community can easily create social ties and enrich personal lives by doing something as simple as joining a sports team or getting involved in community events.

to not only complete a task but to do it well, they will often “go for broke” on every project or task assigned them. Fortunately, in today’s intergenerational workplaces, the Millennial new professional is successful in relating to peers and supervisors from other generations. Because they are eager to please and have a knack for building relationships, they are very skilled at creating a pleasant and fluid work environment. Chambliss notes that even though he and his supervisor “do not always agree on how to approach alumni,” the atmosphere in the office remains friendly and pleasant. Millennial new professionals learn to adapt to their supervisors quickly, and they enjoy the intergenerational exchange. “I feel the traits of my generation and others connect well since we both are working towards a common end,” says Walizer. In a study of the experiences of new student affairs professionals during their first year on the job (NASPA Journal, 2007, Volume 44, No. 2), one interview source described this first year as a chance to see challenging experiences as opportunities rather than as obstacles: “I realize that so much of your first job and the first year of that job is treading water. It is not learning the strokes or perfecting your breathing; it is staying afloat through staffing changes, angry parents, and the never-ending pile of paperwork.... I think the hardest reality that I had to face this semester was that so much of student affairs is treading water until you need to save someone’s life. The time when you are treading water is boring and tedious, but the time when you save someone and truly make a difference in their lives is the purpose for the job.” TS
Lance Watson
is the assistant commandant of cadets at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. is the coordinator for residence life at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

t ake advantage oF oPPortUnities For ProFessionaL deveLoPment
There are many opportunities for professional development available to those newly hired in student housing: writing articles, attending conferences, presenting at conferences, participating in webinars, working on collateral assignments within other offices, proposing new programs, and focusing on leadership development. Social media can also be an important means for becoming part of a dialogue or network that will enhance one’s professional identity. As Toney comments, “I needed to seek other networking opportunities which were cost effective and yet created opportunities for active discussion amongst professionals.” New professionals should be proactive about finding out what opportunities are available on their
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Talking STick

m ake the Best oF yoUr memBershiP in the miLLenniaL generation
As members of the Millennial generation, this particular cohort of new professionals provides some interesting perspectives on the nature of the work ethic and the reality of intergenerational departments. Millennials, credited with being high achieving and over-involved, tend to focus so much on a goal or the end result that they fail to appreciate the process of getting there. Foxx admits that he started out in his first job wanting to “work fast and get fast results” before realizing that he needed to learn to slow down. Millennials also tend to have very high standards and expectations. As Walizer says, “I want to succeed and I have set high goals for my work from day one to be successful.” Because this generation is often intrinsically driven

Bryan Botts

Talking Stick - November/December 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - November/December 2010