The Skidmore College Career Development Center believes that the principals of the Chaos Theory of Careers to be most applicable for liberal arts students in the current economic climate. In this model, career development is recognized as a dynamic system characterized by complexity, interconnectedness, and susceptibility to change.

The following is part of the CDC’s Encouraging Stories Series featuring members of the Class of 2009.  During the last major economic downturn, these individuals exhibited these characteristics as they navigated the early stages of their own careers.  Below are stories and advice in their own words.

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Matt Shrensel '09 studied Geosciences and Environmental Studies at Skidmore. He is now an air quality monitoring meteorologist at Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in Portland, Oregon.   

In what ways has your career path since Skidmore been non-linear? How did your Skidmore experience inform this path? 

My career path since Skidmore started with a lengthy period of job searching, followed by five years working as a staff geologist at an environmental consulting firm. Five years later, it had become evident that I didn't enjoy the consulting lifestyle, and that my career had stalled. I had an opportunity to move to Oregon, which I took, and then spent the next year seeking work. An environmental/political crisis caused Oregon DEQ to make some hires, an opportunity that I was able to make good on. My Skidmore experience informed this path by teaching me not to focus too much on just one thing; though I had a science focus in my studies, I had learned during those studies that everything is connected, and the political and historical worlds intersect with everything else, experience that later proved quite helpful in getting me to where I am today. 

What kinds of knowledge or skills did you unexpectedly use to navigate a difficult economic period? 

Leaving Skidmore proficient in a large number of employable skills helped a great deal.

Employers were interested to see that I had GIS experience, and even more recently, recruiters have sometimes asked if I am interested in a GIS analyst job. Ialso had a lot of experience managing a variety of projects with SkidTV and picked up a lot of useful skills there as well. My geosciences professors always stressed the importance of good writing, and that lesson is reinforced for me almost every day. My first manager told me that if my resume had a single mistake, he would have tossed it out without another glance. Strong writing is important in almost every field. You can have great ideas, but if you're unable to communicate them effectively, they don't matter. Every employer prefers a candidate who can write well. As my first job was a very technical position, computer proficiency was expected and mandatory; I was expected to learn new software, equipment, and procedures on the fly with little or no training. I think this has only become truer since then.  Everything continues to move faster.When I graduated from Skidmore, smart phones were still relatively new. Now everybody carries an encyclopedia and graphing calculator in their pocket, tools have become more sophisticated, and employers expect the people operating the tools to be more sophisticated, as well. 

What insights or advice do you have for others with similar backgrounds, or pursuing a similar path? 

If you're pursuing a technical career, technical excellence is quite important. If you paid attention to your studies at Skidmore, you should have that technical excellence, but you need to demonstrate it to your potential employers.

Your resume should be as good as you can possibly make it, tailored to the job you're applying to. The same applies to a cover letter. People on Skidmore's Career Advisor Network can help. I asked for help back when I was starting out, and it made a big difference. I continue to offer that help to Skidmore students who ask for it. 

Don't write quickly - write well. Revise and re-revise.

If you're considering a career in the environmental industry, we're entering a severe recession, and likely cuts to government spending and nonprofit budgets. You may have to be prepared to take a job that isn't exactly what you want in order to build up useful experience. Unfortunately, this may be even worse than the situation in 2009, which resulted in a glut of overqualified people competing for fewer positions. Remember to think broadly, rather than narrowly. Even the specialized environmental professional needs to know more than just their narrow area of focus. If you're considering a career in geosciences, take your fundamentals exam for professional geologist certification in the state of your choice now.  If you can pass your exam, that can demonstrate your knowledge and technical skill to employers.

Two skills useful for any professional these days - writing well, and programming. You don't need to be a novelist or a programmer, but more jobs than you might think can benefit from strong writing skills and even basic programming knowledge. Organizations now see a lot of resumes; the competition has become quite fierce. My workplace had a lot of PhDs applying for the job I was last promoted from, a position I considered closer to entry level. It's difficult to stand out from a pack, but you have to find a way. Networking can be very difficult, but that can help as well.

Above all else, be patient. These will be difficult times. It may be months before you hear anything at all. Don't be too picky, and don't give up. Ask for help anywhere you can get it. Good luck.