Hello Graduate Students, 

It's hard to believe that another academic year is already behind us. We know it's a busy time of year for many of you as you wrap up your semester with research papers, defenses, and making summer plans -- and maybe even plans to start a career and the next phase of your life. Thank you to the graduate students, post docs and alumni who contributed their career insights to the newsletter this academic year. Congratulations to all of our Future 411 readers who will be graduating this week!

It is with mixed feelings that we share that Career Services and Future 411 are experiencing a big change of our own as Val Roche retires from her position as career counselor for Graduate Career Services this summer. We will miss Val, but we wish her all the best with her own next exciting phase! And so, this month's issue is pleased to offer an interview with Val's successor, Annie Piatt. We look forward to having her on board Future 411 in the fall. Our student colleague interview highlights the importance of using your time as a student to shape your career connections. This month's articles from The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed both addresses the challenges of teaching today's college students while Science Careers provides a reality check about who really gets interviewed and hired in this competitive job market. 

This will be the last edition of the newsletter until August.  We purge the mailing list every year.  If you want to receive the newsletter for the academic year 2013 -14, please complete our brief survey. Our offices will be open all summer, and we hope you will pay us a visit at the Center for Community. Have a great break, and we'll see you next fall! 

Annie Piatt received her B.A. in Biblical Languages (Greek and Hebrew) from The Master's College and her master's degree in Higher Education from Harvard University. She currently serves as a Career Counselor & Student Affairs Outreach Specialist at Career Services, but will step into her new role as Counselor for Graduate Student Career Programs this summer.

What career path have you taken to reach your current job? 

As a college freshman I choose Elementary Education as my major mostly because both of my parents worked as teachers and administrators.  However, I soon decided I did not want to work with small children and explored ESL and accounting before I eventually chose something that interested me rather than something solely practical. Strangely enough, my degree in Biblical Languages and a few accounting courses led to a job in customer service at a payroll company. The company eventually transferred me from Southern California to Colorado, where I later took a payroll position at CU-Boulder, Now, I'm making my career as a Buff. 

Deciding to return to graduate school after six years in the workforce was no small feat, and it was a challenge to leave a secure job and my home and life in Boulder. I did not know if graduate school would pay off professionally, but I'm glad I took the risk and returned to school. The experience made me more courageous and heightened my enjoyment of work, my colleagues, and my clients. My path is not one I envisioned when I graduated from college nearly a decade ago, and I love looking back on the circuitous and serendipitous route my career has taken.

What drew you into working in career development at the university level and what brought you to Career Services at CU? 

I met Lisa Severy, Director of Career Services, when I began working in Human Resources  at CU-Boulder in 2006. A few years later, we both participated in a leadership development program called University Perspectives which partly inspired my return to graduate school. The move to Career Services was a natural transition for me, as my my job in Human Resources involved reviewing hundreds of candidate applications, job descriptions, and compensation plans. Now, I support students as they craft the materials I used to review to help them stand out in a pile on a recruiter's desk. I also get to teach networking skills and facilitate career explorations to help students determine what jobs and company cultures might best align with their strengths, skills and interests.

What will be your new position with Career Services come fall, and what kind of assistance will you offer our graduate students?  

I will step into the role of Counselor for Graduate Student Career Programs when Valentine Roche retires this summer. During my own graduate school experience, I completed an internship as a Career Adviser for graduate students at the Harvard Divinity School. I learned so much from domestic and international graduate students preparing for work in conflict resolution, economic development, diverse ministry settings, social justice projects, and academia. This year I worked with graduate students in individual appointments and group workshops hosted by the MBA program, School of Engineering, and various Arts & Sciences departments. It is rewarding to have conversations with individuals about their careers paths, and collaborate on strategic and effective job searches. 

I look forward to building on the relationships Val has developed with graduate students and departments on our campus.  I will continue to offer one on one career counseling appointments as well as group workshops and events; graduate students can visit me for assistance with CV and resume development, interview preparation, self-exploration, and job search strategies. 

What advice do you have for graduate students entering today's job market? 

It is never too early to get started on your career exploration. Whatever your stage in the process, we invite you come visit us at Career Services. Take full advantage of the resources and people in the Forever Buffs Alumni network and campus community. Build quality relationships and explore options with us. As Abraham Lincoln said, "Whatever you are, be a good one." We at Career Services want to help you succeed in doing just that.

Question (from "Edwina"): Why, oh why, do faculty members and instructors of all stripes have to put our e-mail addresses on our syllabi? In the past, students could contact us in class, before and after class, and during office hours. But now, with smartphones, we've somehow become 24/7 personal assistants.

In any week, I average about two students in my office, but I get more than 50 e-mails, mostly from students who aren't even embarrassed to tell me, "Oh, I didn't read the syllabus." So they e-mail to ask: When are papers due? How much does the exam count? Do you take off points for late papers?

Some really have no sense of shame. They missed the pop quiz because they were in jail, or their computer crashed because they were surfing for Internet porn, or they were too drunk to ... whatever. One wrote, "Wassup, doc?" Another wanted to know how to get an abortion.

Mostly these e-mails come in a flurry at 3 a.m., with follow-ups demanding immediate responses: "Did you get my message?" It's a haunting refrain, repeated every 15 minutes. Read more