The long and winding road

As a teenager, one takes employment wherever they can find it, babysitting, waiting tables at a

restaurant, or maybe working on a farm. After high school, the graduate must choose between furthering their education at a vocational/tech school, college, or entering the workforce. After that point, most people start down that long and winding road, and there are often potholes! These potholes may be due to a reducing the number of employees, the closing companies like Champion Labs in Edwards County closing, or losing jobs due to poor work ethics. The question then is: How will I pay my bills? Will I find another job I love? What am I going to do?

According to " Job Change Frequency Statics: 30 Data-Driven Insight for Modern Talent Strategy" by Daniel Saks , members of today’s workforce in the US will change jobs 12times during their career. The median length of stay in a position is about 3.9 years; however, workers aged 20-24 keep a job on average for just 1.4 years, while employees aged 55+ tend to stay in the same job for 9.8 years. Some leave due to losing their job; others make lateral or vertical moves to a new and sometimes different position. Others,

especially those who were in high school or college during COVID, may choose to transition

to working at home remotely. No matter what the reason, there are new learning curves, increased uncertainty, and stress.

Karissa Anderson, WVC Director of the Learning Commons- always ready to help WVC students.

Karissa Anderson, Director of the WVC Learning Commons, has traveled down that long and winding road; however, while gaining experience and skills

before being employed in a career she loves. She shares her experiences to help college students and others navigate the road to their future careers.

After a multitude of jobs, including nineteen years in the Learning Commons, Anderson became Director of the Learning Commons. She has worked in some capacity since she was 15. Like many high school and college students, Anderson worked in fast food restaurants, as a lifeguard at the city pool, and eventually manager at the YMCA pool. She also drove a bus for the WVC International students for a short time. These jobs were all entry-level jobs held while in high school and college; these jobs provided her with work experience and direction. It was also at this time that she was interested in social work; however, she confessed, “After job shadowing, I realized I was too emotionally involved in situations, and it was mentally and emotionally challenging for me.”

She then decided to enter the world of business. Anderson was offered a job as an assistant to the WVC Marketing Director. She really enjoyed her job in marketing and decided to return to college to pursue a B. S. in Marketing. She hoped getting her bachelor’s would not only make her more knowledgeable in the field of marketing but also lead to bigger and better positions.

Anderson was offered a job as an assistant to the WVC Marketing Director. She really

enjoyed her job in marketing and decided to return to college to pursue a B. S. in Marketing. She hoped getting her bachelor’s would not only make her more knowledgeable in the field of marketing but also lead to bigger and better positions.

Anderson reported that returning to school was a difficult time in her life as she was trying to

balance raising three young children and working at WVC. She graduated with a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Phoenix in December 2004. Six months later, after spending all that time and money to gain her marketing degree, her position as the Assistant to the Director of Marketing was cut due to a reduction in force. Not only was this very disappointing, but it was also very frustrating, as Anderson had spent time and money to return to college, and she could not recoup the time lost not being with her children due to classes, work, and homework.

The next door opened as Anderson was offered another job at WCVC. Since the new position that she was offered was a lateral move in a totally different environment, with new faces and a new learning curve, Karissa was left with doubts about taking the job and considered looking for a new position elsewhere. After much deliberation, she decided her heart was with WVC and stayed and trained as a cataloger. Keeping a positive attitude, being patient, and giving herself time to acclimate to the new position, Anderson fell in love with her new job.

Nineteen years later, the position of Director opened. she decided to leave her comfort zone once again, applied for the position, and got it! Anderson exclaimed, “It may not be a career in marketing, but I truly love my new position as Director of the Learning Commons.” Sometimes taking chances and taking look at new positions or changes in a career pays off. A person just needs to be willing to take a chance."

Unfortunately, jobs come and go, often through no fault of the employees. When asked what suggestions she might have for someone who loses their job, Anderson commented on what she would tell someone who had lost their job, especially those employees who lost their jobs due to the recent closing of Champion Lab in Edwards County, IL, which has affected the families of many students at WVC. “Personally, I would tell them, depending on their mental and emotional state, during this time, let’s evaluate what they want to do. Is this the time to go back to school? Is there something that has always been in your mind that you might like to try?" Anderson says that she is a believer of lifelong learning lifelong: always looking for things to enhance or change in my situation.

She went on to say, ""Maybe this little stumbling block is the thing that launches you into something you never thought about because you were content at that moment. There is a thing of ‘stumbling up.’ If I hadn’t been moved to the Library, I would have never thought of loving it like I do. I never pictured myself in this setting. But I am now the Director, and I’m using the skills I learned for my marketing degree that is enhancing and changing my work environment.”

Students often change their minds many times while in college and then may purse a position in a totally different field. For instance, Audrey Baker, a student at WVC, was taking classes in the nursing program. After working as a CNA at the local hospital, Audrey decided nursing was not for her and is now studying to be a nail tech at OCC. college students may also decide to leave a job and return to school. Shawna

Shawna Pugh, student in the Radio/TV Broadcasting Program at WVC.

 Pugh worked at a radio station in her hometown. When asked why she decided to go to WVC instead of staying at her job, she said, "I went into a radio/TV program to learn in depth radio, not just from a board op standpoint, but beyond that because I wanted to do more than a board op."

Today’s college students are members of Gen Z, or people born 1997-2012. According to Emma Burleigh, "Job-hopping Gen Z only stay in each job 1 year and 54% are regularly browsing for their next role-but a report says they're not disloyal villains." Gen Z employees are staying about 1.1 years in their first five years of their career, compared to the average 3.9 years of the previous generation. These Gen Z workers are not necessarily losing their jobs due to poor work ethics or company-related things that are out of their control. They are a mobile generation willing to job hop to gain experience and reach their long-term career goals.

While her life experiences may not affect them today, college students need to take note of the changes Karissa Anderson made while following her long and wining road to the career she loves today. The twists and turns of a 35-40 year work life is hard to imagine as a 21 year old college graduate. The keys to moving forward are staying open minded, being flexible and patient, taking criticism, and adapting to change. Technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that lifelong learning is another critical skill. Maintaining a good skill set, finding a mentor who is willing to share their experience, and having a positive workplace is the ultimate goal for all job seekers today, on their long, and winding road to a career they love.