{"id":134160,"date":"2020-06-12T09:42:41","date_gmt":"2020-06-12T13:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=134160"},"modified":"2024-07-01T15:56:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T19:56:45","slug":"hang-in-there-2009-graduates-offer-words-of-wisdom-for-new-alumni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2020\/06\/12\/hang-in-there-2009-graduates-offer-words-of-wisdom-for-new-alumni\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hang in there\u2019: 2009 graduates offer words of wisdom for new alumni"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Graduating into a recession is not something you want to have in common with anyone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the Class of 2009 and the Class of 2020 have that dubious distinction. For the Class of 2009, the Great Recession saw national job losses in the hundreds of thousands and hiring freezes across industries. For Bates\u2019 most recent graduates, measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus has caused unemployment to shoot to the double digits.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Maya
Maya Church \u201920 meets with Bruce Goldfarb P\u201920 , president and chief executive officer of Okapi Partners LLC, during Church\u2019s internship at the company. Church moderated a panel of 2009 alumni, who offered advice and encouragement for graduating into a recession. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not impossible to launch a recession-era career. In a May 26 Zoom discussion sponsored by the Center for Purposeful Work, the Bates Office of Alumni Engagement, and the Bates Alumni Council, four graduates of the Class of 2009 described their experiences in a range of industries and offered words of wisdom for the seniors graduating into a less-than-stellar job market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the discussion, moderated by Purposeful Work office assistant Maya Church \u201920 \u2014 herself about to graduate \u2014 the 2009 alumni described the twists and turns of their career paths, their setbacks and successes, and the power of the Bates community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Get comfortable with uncertainty’<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As class president, Arsalan Suhail \u201909 noticed a sense of optimism among his classmates during his senior year. The Great Recession had been raging for months, but the graduating seniors were hopeful that the economy would rebound in time for their job searches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Arsalan Suhail \u201909 worked at IBM for nine years before earning an MBA. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And traditional senior festivities provided a welcome distraction, Suhail recalled \u2014 something Bates\u2019 most recent graduates weren\u2019t able to celebrate in person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reality hit in the weeks after Commencement, when the 2009 graduates returned home and \u201cstarted realizing that the economy was not going to be opening up in the foreseeable future and they had to look at plans B, C, and D,\u201d Suhail said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suhail considers himself lucky to have secured a job during the school year. He had hoped to launch a career in investment banking, but after the collapse of the global finance industries, he started working as a strategy consultant at IBM. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nine years at IBM he’s now completing his MBA degree at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business \u2014 graduating into a recession again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPatience, perseverance, and resilience are going to be the defining characteristics of the Class of 2020,\u201d Suhail said. \u201cThe next couple of weeks and months are going to be tough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to take time for the economy to rebound. There\u2019s no silver bullet. Get comfortable with the looming uncertainty as it\u2019ll be critical to your success.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your first job doesn\u2019t have to define your career<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Stephanie Howson \u201909 graduated from Bates without a job or a clear idea of what she wanted to do. \u201cMy life as a postgrad was really me grappling with some big questions, kind of like we do at Bates \u2014 except I was alone all day and there was no Commons,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stephanie Howson \u201909 is a director of development at Seattle University.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Howson quickly realized, however, that her first job didn\u2019t have to be perfect. She took a temporary position as a bank loan processor \u2014 not quite what she wanted to do, but a way to build her resume while buying the time to think about her strengths, interests, and next steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through a Bates contact, she started a career in fundraising; she is now a director of development at Seattle University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe question that kept me moving forward in my job search was, \u2018What do I want to do next?\u2019\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I graduated, I kept asking myself what I feel was the wrong question: What do I want to do with my life?\u201d Howson said. \u201cThat question really scared me, and rightly so. It\u2019s basically impossible to answer, especially when you\u2019re 21 years old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe question that kept me moving forward in my job search was, \u2018What do I want to do next?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something good can lead to something better<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The job search was more complicated for Ricky Weisskopf \u201909, who is from El Salvador. Like Suhail, he wanted to become an investment banker. Not only was 2009 a bad time for investment banks, some of which were collapsing; other companies were not sponsoring as many work visas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ricky Weisskopf \u201909 coached squash for several years before launching a career in tech. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So Weisskopf, a squash star at Bates, worked as an assistant coach at the college before trying graduate school in Switzerland \u2014 though he realized partway through that program that it was not for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he implemented Plan C, returning to the U.S. to continue coaching squash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though he had a work visa and enjoyed coaching, it was not the career he wanted. \u201cI thought I had everything planned out, then all of a sudden it didn\u2019t work out,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weisskopf was able, however, to turn his sense of failure into an opportunity to learn. \u201cBeing employed doing something that I loved allowed me to start building confidence and gave me a clear head as to what I wanted to do next,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNext\u201d ended up being a career in tech; Weisskopf is now a product manager at Curalate. \u201cSquash allowed me to get over the hump of that first real failure and realize it wasn\u2019t a failure \u2014 it was just a change of path.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure out what you don\u2019t<\/em> like<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Not long after graduation, Manuela Odell \u201909 carved out a niche at a series of startups, working in public relations and social media and managing online communities. Though she did this type of work for more than a decade, she realized it wasn\u2019t what she wanted to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Odell went into product design, learning how to create the best experience for users of websites and apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I needed to learn what I don\u2019t like to do in order to figure out what I love to do.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t regret that it took me 12 years to realize that, because I needed to learn what I don\u2019t like to do in order to figure out what I love to do,\u201d she said. \u201cTaking jobs and figuring out what tasks you don\u2019t like is arguably more important than figuring out what you do like.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maya Church agreed. \u201cI\u2019ve had some crazy job experiences that I didn\u2019t necessarily like, but that I definitely learned from,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gain experience however you can <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Odell recently finished a course in product design \u2014 like Suhail, graduating once again into a recession. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNavigating this recession is definitely reminiscent of navigating the job hunt in 2009,\u201d she said. \u201cI find myself asking some of the same questions that I did back then: Is this hard because I don\u2019t have much work experience coming into a completely different career, or is it because it\u2019s a recession? I think it\u2019s a little bit of both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Manuela Odell \u201909 worked at tech startups for several years before becoming a freelance product designer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Odell considered searching for jobs full time, but decided instead to balance the job hunt with freelance work. She\u2019s redesigned websites, created an app to review coffee shops for remote workers, and even developed a personal finance tool for the cash-sharing app Venmo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Freelancing provides both income and entries for her design portfolio. And it unknots a familiar paradox of the early career: \u201cMy problem was that I couldn\u2019t get a full-time job, and I didn\u2019t have work experience,\u201d she said. \u201cFreelancing is solving that problem for me.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worry about yourself (only) <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2009, and again in 2020, Suhail \u201cstarted noticing a lot of people comparing themselves to other people.\u201d That\u2019s not a good idea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot everyone\u2019s path is the same.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t compare yourself with anyone,\u201d he said. \u201cIt would be well-worth it to read some leadership books and seek inspiration from the stories of these incredibly successful people who are role models. Everyone has a different story, path, and everyone\u2019s timing differs. Just focus on yourself and improving yourself as much as you can, day by day, step by step.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps more so in 2020 than in 2009, social media can facilitate unhealthy comparisons, said Church. \u201cIt\u2019s good sometimes, as I\u2019m getting older, to take breaks from social media, to stop looking at what other people are doing,\u201d she said. \u201cIt gets super distracting, and it messes with your mental health.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the Bates network\u2026  <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Suhail advised the Class of 2020 to look to fellow Bates alumni for help in a particularly tough job market. \u201cThere are legions of supporters and people who are rooting for your success,\u201d he said. \u201cThey know things are going to be tough. The empathy is there. Leverage it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Class of 2009 have experienced the power of the Bates community. A fellow Batesie had helped Stephanie Howson break into fundraising. \u201cYour network helps set you apart in any time, but especially during a recession,\u201d she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After coaching squash for several years, Ricky Weisskopf connected with Ben Schippers \u201904, a tech entrepreneur. Weisskopf got a job at Schippers\u2019 design and engineering firm, HappyFunCorp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schippers \u201cintroduced me to tech, which I am so grateful for,\u201d Weisskopf said. \u201cSince that day, I love what I do. One of the things I enjoy about Bates is meeting people from all classes and trying to create that sense of community where people are willing and able to help each other.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026but network authentically <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Networking is most effective when the people doing the networking build long-lasting relationships, Odell pointed out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authentic networking, she said, is \u201cnot networking as a way to get a job but as a way to ask questions. Maybe there\u2019s somebody from the Bates community who\u2019s a cinematographer, and you\u2019re interested in it. Just ask them, \u2018Can I take 15 minutes to ask you what your career trajectory looked like and what your day-to-day is?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need to be genuinely interested in understanding something about that person.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take care of yourself <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

No amount of job-hunting, skill-building, or networking should come at the expense of mental health. Weisskopf recommended seeking out therapy if it\u2019s necessary and accessible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odell emphasized the power of community, in whatever form it takes. \u201cWe\u2019re not alone in this,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are other people who are going through this. This is a challenging time in so many ways, but there is so much compassion right now \u2014 so many people who want to help, who want to talk, who want to share their advice with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can say with 1000% certainty that you will grow and learn so much about yourself and the world from this.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis will get better, and everybody will land on two feet.\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And don\u2019t forget to experience joy, Suhail said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou just graduated,\u201d he said. \u201cTake a step back, enjoy this time, enjoy the good cheer with family and friends. The future is really bright, and we\u2019re banking on you to make sure the future is going to be bright for generations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHang in there,\u201d Weisskopf added. \u201cThese are very weird times. This will get better, and everybody will land on two feet and move forward.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Class of 2020 isn’t the only one to graduate into a recession. Here’s what the Class of 2009 has to say. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1005,"featured_media":134179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[12356,7504],"class_list":["post-134160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","tag-center-for-purposeful-work","tag-ricky-weisskopf"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134160"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":144117,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134160\/revisions\/144117"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}