ANALYZE THIS: PART I. TOP SKILL #4 IN THE EYES OF EMPLOYERS IS ANALYTICAL REASONING AND CRITICAL THINKING

According to the annual survey of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, one of the top skills sought by employers is a combination of critical thinking and analytical reasoning. Our own sample of 162 employers who attended the Job and Internship Fair in March 2016 has confirmed this finding: 89% of them were looking for candidates with this particular skill combination. These employers range from not-for-profits and businesses to government agencies and international organizations in various fields and industries.

What do the employers mean by “analytical” and “critical thinking” skills? Why are these skills so much in demand? Do you possess these skills? If you do, how would you demonstrate that to your potential employer? What activities would help develop analytical reasoning and critical thinking?

Find out this and more in my two part blog.

First, what are we talking about?

We are talking about two higher order cognitive skills. Both analytical reasoning and critical thinking help understand the information, topic, problem, data, etc. They enable one to tackle a problem and make the right decision in a more efficient way. However, these skills are not identical.

Analytical reasoning refers to a thinking process that entails breaking the information (topic, problem, data, etc.) into the parts, researching, and evaluating each part separately, to comprehend the complexity of the topic, discover connections, causes and effects, patterns, etc.

Critical thinking refers to a thinking process that entails coming up with questions, searching for flaws or strengths, evaluating possible scenarios, etc., to interpret the complexity of the topic based on the facts as well as prior knowledge and experience. Critical thinking involves figuring out the “Why?” and “Why not?”

For sure, I have simplified the definitions of these skills — there is much more to both analytical reasoning and critical thinking.

Why do employers look for analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills?

There are three major reasons:

First, employers look for these skills because of the complexity of the today’s workplace. Such complexity involves multiple sources of information, numerous stakeholders, complex challenges (economic, social, or political), increasing competition, etc. To achieve success in whatever organizations do (development or implementation of products, programs, services, projects or policies, etc.) in such complex environments, employers need analytical and critical thinkers who can grasp individual components and their relationships, as well as probe deeper to figure out what is important and what is not.

Second, many organizations have concluded that the decentralized structure of decision-making help them work more efficiently. This means that junior staff get more responsibilities to make decisions, come up with solutions, and recommend innovations. All these tasks call for good analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills.

Finally, the employer prefers new hires who will be able to become effective in their job as fast as possible. This requires figuring out how the organization operates, your tasks and expectations, where to get mentorship, communication channels, etc. To master all this information fast, the new hire should use analytical reasoning to understand these important components and their relations at the new workplace.

Obviously, different fields and industries would require their own analytical approaches and modes of critical thinking. Research assistants in the science fields would use different inquiry methods than research assistants in policy organizations. Business professionals of various specializations would employ different analytical tools to meet their goals. Educators, media and communications specialists, program coordinators or event planners — all would use different analytical approaches, strategies and techniques in their day to day job. However, the principles of analytical reasoning and critical thinking are universal, which makes them essential transferrable skills.

Now, while I am working on my second part of this blog, I would like to suggest that you get busy as well.

First, put on your analytical reasoning cap and analyze your academic, internship, leadership, work and other experiences to find suitable examples of utilizing analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills. Think of specific projects and tasks that you have accomplished where you had to figure out components (factors, aspects, steps), research, and evaluate them separately and together. Think of any examples where you identified information gaps, flaws, or thought through and/or suggested possible alternatives.

Next, put on your critical thinking cap and try to assess your performance on these tasks and think of specific ways you can continue further developing these skills.

LinkedIn + Natural Sciences Majors = Success?

Our career advisors support many students through the internship and job search, and LinkedIn is always an interesting topic of conversation. Many students aren’t on LinkedIn, and this is often the case for DU alumni in Natural Sciences & Mathematics as well. In my experience, the students who are on LinkedIn usually have built a basic profile but aren’t actively using the platform to network. Though I can be a curmudgeon about technology (who needs social media when you can spend time outside and unplugged?), there is so much value that platforms like LinkedIn can provide to job and internship seekers.

I recently came across an article in the February issue of NACE Journal that analyzed how recruiters are currently using LinkedIn (thank you, Mary Michael Hawkins, for sharing the article with me!). Though many of the trends in usage haven’t changed much over time, there was one surprising data point specific to NSM. It turns out that recruiters are still using LinkedIn to locate potential candidates and review or screen candidate qualifications, but it appears that they are targeting specific majors when browsing candidate profiles. According to the article, 79% of recruiters seeking candidates in the hard sciences were most likely to use LinkedIn for this purpose (Wilder & Noble, 2017). Recruiters seeking students in the world of natural resources followed closely behind at 67 percent, and 60 percent of healthcare recruiters are mining LinkedIn. Overall, more than two-thirds of recruiters were using LinkedIn over the past three years for either a full-time or internship search (Wilder & Noble, 2017). While building a brand-new LinkedIn profile can take a little while, it is incredibly worthwhile.

Going beyond the numbers, LinkedIn is a valuable resource for any NSM major. It’s no secret that many students, within and beyond NSM, are deeply involved in a number of experiential learning opportunities, internships, research positions, student organizations…and the list goes on. It can be challenging to fully highlight a student’s skill set and experiences on a one-page resume. I love LinkedIn because it gives students the chance to provide a recruiter or prospective employer with the full scope of what they’re involved in and why it matters to them. The headline and summary sections are particularly important for this purpose; while it’s not easy to communicate the why behind choosing a major or career path on a resume, a compelling summary might be a ticket to the next internship or job opportunity.

In addition, LinkedIn gives us the opportunity to present visual examples of skills and experiences that a resume might not be able to fully capture. I often highlight the importance of uploading electronic copies of poster presentations, visual representations of models or data analyzed for a research project, or links to portfolios or websites coded by students in NSM. Students work so hard on building the perfect poster for the Research & Scholarship Symposium and for their classes – why not share that information with employers, especially if one is seeking to build on that research experience in an internship or in life after DU?

While it’s important to build a strong LinkedIn profile, learning how to use LinkedIn for both career exploration and the internship or job search is also key. The LinkedIn Alumni Tool is a fun resource for uncovering NSM alumni. I often suggest that students start out by simply using it as a research tool; what are DU graduates in your major(s) up to, and how did they get to where they are today? The tool is filterable by location, employer, major, and more; both the aggregate data at the top of the page and the individual results at the bottom change based on search criteria entered.

If you have questions about building your LinkedIn profile with your research skills in mind, please feel free to contact your Career Advisor and they would be happy to brainstorm with you! In addition, we have a great workshop series coming up in spring quarter that you don’t want to miss!

Create a Compelling & Professional LinkedIn Profile

April 9 | 6-7pm | Lindsay Auditorium (Sturm Hall)

The Power of Networks: Leveraging Social Media

April 25 | 6-7pm; LinkedIn profile reviews 7-8pm | Lindsay Auditorium (Sturm Hall)

The top 3 reasons you’re not getting job interviews

Getting that first interview is usually the most exciting part of the job application process. You’ve done your research and spent days, sometimes even weeks perfecting your CV and cover letter. And then, the waiting game.

But have you ever found yourself lacking a flurry of recruiters or employers trying to knock down your door to get to you? Yes, we’ve all been there. It can be so frustrating after filling out countless application forms and tailoring your personal documents to suit the role you are applying for, to find that you didn’t even get a call back!

Having been in managerial roles for the last 5 years and hiring my own team members, I wanted to share the top 3 reasons why you might not be getting call backs for interviews.

You made a mistake on your CV

The number 1 pet peeve of any hiring manager is usually grammatical errors. There’s nothing more annoying than seeing a spelling error on a CV. In fact, I have known hiring managers to immediately trash a CV if they spot an error on it, regardless of how suitable the candidate may have been.

You should realise that even before you’ve reached the interview stage, you’re making your first impression through your CV. And to make a mistake at this first stage potentially makes you look lazy and careless.

Be sure to always double and triple check your CV, and even after that, check it again! I also recommend getting someone else to have a look over your documents. Getting a second opinion may uncover other aspects you may have forgotten.

Your CV doesn’t match your LinkedIn

The first thing I do once I’ve whittled down prospective candidates is check out their profiles on LinkedIn. It’s an immediate red flag if I see that their dates or job details don’t match.

This can cause hiring managers to believe you have exaggerated on your CV or deliberately tried to hide something. In most cases, I look for gaps in people’s careers. So if I noticed that a candidate left a company and had a 6 month gap, I’d usually call this out in an interview and asked what they did within that period. However, I have had instances where candidates “stretch” their working dates on the CV that they send through which then doesn’t match their dates on their LinkedIn profile.

It could be an honest mistake and you’ve just mixed up your dates. However, this little mistake could come at a huge cost and impact your chance of even getting a call back.

You’re applying for the wrong roles

Lastly, it could simply be due to the fact that you are applying for a role that you are just not suited to. It often baffles me when I receive applications from candidates that clearly have no relevance to my industry or even relevant experience to suggest that they would be suited to the role.

This leads hiring managers to believe that you have simply “bulk” applied for various roles and haven’t been considerate in your application process. And ultimately could cost you your chance of being considered for any potential roles.

All in all, you need to make sure you’re always honest and accurate on your CV and application. And ultimately don’t be disheartened if you haven’t received any interview opportunities yet. The application process can be a long one, so hang in there. In the meantime, why not brush up on your interview skills?

Amanda is a digital marketing and PR professional with over 6 years experience. She is also a blogger and blogs over at ldnrose.com covering topics including career advice, travel and blogging tips.

One negative employee can bring down others

A wealth of current research tells us that the most critical factor in controlling undesirable turnover and increasing retention of talented people are the skills of managers. People join companies but they leave managers. Satisfied employees are critical to the success of your business. If they’re not happy on the job, customers are not happy being with them.

So what do you do when you have an employee who is just not happy? Every business can have “the glass is half empty” person on the lookout for something to go wrong. You can recognize them: They spend the majority of the day in a negative slump and critical of everything from projects to people. And other people — once happy and motivated — are starting to gossip and criticize. Negativity is like the flu: It’s contagious. It’s also expensive. Negativity costs companies millions in terms of productivity.

So how do you deal with an employee whose negativity is starting to rub off on other people? Our first instinct may be that the person’s behavior is just about their “bad attitude” and try to ignore it. Not a great idea. This can actually fuel the fire by setting a culture of negativity. In fact, if we do nothing about the negativity, we are condoning the behavior and subsequently, endorsing it. You do need to take some action.

Often at the heart of a negative attitude are fear and uncertainty. Change is the biggest single cause of workplace negativity. Even if that new billing system is for the better, people will automatically ask themselves: What am I losing? For employees, change automatically equals the loss of something comfortable, and they will resist it.

Here are some simple steps for quelling the office critic, paraphrased from some great work by Chris Penttila, a freelance journalist.

1. Understand change from the employee’s perspective. Employees can put up with change as long as they can talk openly about it. Remember most negative people don’t know that they’re negative because no one ever tells them.

2. Find the fear, then focus on solutions. Teach negative employees to focus on offering solutions, not just criticism. Turning the griper into a solution provider gives them a genuine avenue to contribute.

3. Do some coaching. Work with the negative person on improving their attitude. Chances are, these people are complaining because they think they have good ideas that haven’t been heard.

Ultimately, employers can work too long and hard with some negative people when it’s better just to cut your losses, recognizing a bad fit. If there’s no improvement after three to six months, maybe it’s time to let them go (legally, documented, etc., of course). After you let a negative person go, talk with employees about the future of their workplace. It can be the perfect opportunity to take the pulse of your company culture.

Marcia Bagnall is Director of the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center and instructor of Small Business Management Program. The Small-Business Adviser column is produced by the center and appears each Sunday. Questions can be submitted to SBDC@chemeketa.edu. Visit the SBDC at 626 High Street NE. in downtown Salem or call (503) 399-5088.

Employed by Graduation: T– 60 Days

Calling all Seniors and graduating Master’s, J.D. and Ph.D. students!

You’ve been working hard, the registrar just sent out commencement and cap and gown information and you are ready to graduate – but are you ready to start your career?

Graduation is just two months away and while that might seem like a lot of time to complete a term paper, the job hunt can take just as much if not more time. Take advantage of the upcoming events and workshops so that youre filling your own pipeline with great opportunities while expanding your network and letting them know an outstanding DU Grad is just what they need to take their company to the next level.

Job Search Boot Camp – April 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Estes Park Job & Volunteer Fair – April 6, 9 a.m.–Noon
Networking Basics – April 6, 11–11:50 a.m.
Resumes that Get Results, April 12, 11–11:50 a.m. and April 13, 11–11:50 a.m.
Nonprofit and Government Career and Internship Fair – April 20, 2–5 p.m.

These are just a few of our upcoming programs; check our events section for a full listing. We’ll see you soon and then again at graduation with diploma and job in hand.

Learn & Play at Career Carnival!

Visit our first ever Career Carnival to meet career staff in a fun atmosphere! At this event, Career Advisors will help students set up their Pioneer Careers accounts and teach students about the new career milestones for each year during the student experience.

Once students visit the career services tent, it’s time to play in our milestone themed activity centers! Climb a rock wall, jump around in bouncy fun house, play Plinko, try out a bungee run and enjoy some popcorn and cotton candy. Meet local employers in a casual atmosphere to learn what they seek when hiring!

Career Carnival
Tuesday, September 19th | Noon-3:00pm
Driscoll Green

My Way to Score the Job

Often the students are not worried about their future when they come to the university. They do not think about how easy will it be to find a job after graduation. One day it occurred to me: the incredible emotions and feelings engulfed me when I was on the path to adulthood.

I needed to find a job that would be appreciated and would be consistent with my knowledge and skills. And when I was faced with looking for a job it was not easy and even very difficult. Because finding a suitable job I had an interview. When I came to the firm I have seen dozens of people who have already had experience and looked beautiful and confident. It was a big problem for me as I had no experience and felt insecure and frightened. Subsequently, I’ve been waiting for calls from those companies, but never got it.

But it is up to this time. When I stumbled upon a few useful points that really helped me in solving my question. It all started with the fact that I started to follow each of them and abide by them.

I have correctly filled out my resume and most importantly written correctly the purpose of what I want to achieve in my work;
As experience is missing, I produced a great effect on the employer during the interview. The first impression was of huge validity to my employment;
I prepared the answers to all the questions of the employer during the interview. The employees of the company helped me to understand all the inquiries;
First and foremost, I came for the interview in advance.
During the interview, I asked the question to the employer and he gladly answered them. He saw my competence, and within days was invited to work. Consequently, thanks to this I got the desired job.

Useful tips for the interview preparation

We understand how it can be exciting to make ready for an interview. Here’s the first rule – don’t make something out of anything! Only thorough and detailed lead-up will help you pass it easily and successfully. So, where should you start?

Ask yourself a question and think carefully, is this actually the perfect job for which you want to improve yourself and work for a long time? Does this company inspire certainty in you? Has it a positive image? Do you have any friends who cooperated with the chosen company?

If all the answers are positive, then take the time to prepare.

Information

Be sure that before a live interview you have correctly understood all the responsibilities of your future job.
Carefully read your resume, so that with any clarifying you can quickly provide the comprehensive reply.
Ask the company HR what helpful resources or topics will lead you to the interview success; if they have frequently asked questions, how many stages conversation will have.
Think carefully about the query “why did you decide to change jobs”. The response should be as simple and honest as possible. For instance, you want to increase the salary, and at the last place, this point could not be implemented.
Prepare a list of questions you can ask the other party. You thus get a lively, constructive dialogue.

Research

Before a meeting, learn in detail the company activities, main business directions, current partners. You should analyze the financial situation and future growth by checking annual reports. Think how you can increase profits being on your job, make truly prepositions.
View not only the official site but also all links to social networks. Most events, both recent and future, you can learn on company social profiles.
If you see that one of your friends is connected with the company, surely ask him about the details.
Go to the sites that offer work, look for reviews about your company.

Emotional mood

If you are experiencing fear or excitement – so it is normal. Try think not about how exciting this is for you, but about how much benefit and profit you can bring to the company if you focus on your strengths and dialogue with your interlocutor.
Try to talk the monologue to yourself in the mirror about the previous places of work, or about the reasons why you are coming to this position. Are you satisfied with all the facial expressions?
Do not forget to smile and be a friendly person, because excessive seriousness may lead to incorrect opinion.

Competence

Punctuality is your everything. This is the first criterion by which employers can determine your attitude to future work. So, try to plan your day in a way when you can come to interview on time. Also, figure out the possible options for delays. In critical situations, on which you can not affect, immediately report the reason for being late.
In fact, you understand that you can be judged by your clothes. If the company doesn’t declare a strict dress code, dress casually, but not too vulgar.
Any point from your resume you should reproduce as transparently as possible. If you have told that you speak three languages on the native level, you have to prove it easily.
Your attitude to the past workplace will also show your approach to work. Do not respond unflatteringly about the prior boss, given that the current employer simply will not want to be in his place in a few months.
Bring your resume and portfolio to an interview along with a copy. When you show the calculation of all the risks, you could definitely be remembered better than other candidates could.

Take a luck and be yourself!

About the author:

Dortha Bush is a junior HR with a beginning but splash background in out staffing and concurrently a writer of scientific works on psychological topics. At the age of 29, she wrote many practical guides, allowing the student to get to the desired job almost after the first interview.

Developing Your Business Plan

Covers the elements of a business plan and its purpose. Participants would come out with a basic outline for their business plan.

Date: Thursday, May 18
Time: 12:30 to 2:30 pm
Location: Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry, 626 High Street NE, Downtown Salem
Cost: $59
Registration and Information: 503.399.5088

About Chemeketa SBDC

We provide the tools and environment for small business owners to make great decisions.

View all posts by Chemeketa SBDC →

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Alumni Advice: Eva Antczak Creates Inspiration at the Google Food Lab

Eva Antczak ’07 is program manager of the Google Food Lab, a platform for people in food policy, farming, corporate food service, healthcare, technology, corporate food companies, and academia to use their knowledge to solve pressing food system issues.

We talked to Eva about her senior thesis on Vermont cheesemakers, managing the Google Food Lab, and why technology and innovation are critical to a sustainable food system.

You graduated from UVM with a degree in environmental studies and Spanish. What made you shift gears and focus on nutrition/food systems?

Food and agriculture have always been my passions, but once I began taking classes in environmental studies at UVM, I realized I could apply those interests to the study of local, regional, and global food systems. After taking classes in sustainable development, anthropology, herbalism, food science, and cheese and culture, I studied abroad for a semester in Oaxaca, Mexico. This experience anchored the information I had learned in a cultural context in which food, agriculture, and nutrition are intrinsically embedded.

Tell us about your senior thesis on artisan cheesemakers in Vermont.

I interviewed livestock farmers and cheesemakers across the state to better understand how and why cheese is such a strong part of Vermont’s identity, and what the biggest challenges, such as government policies, farming knowledge, and marketing, were to the success of these markets. These conversations were enlightening and energizing. I knew I wanted to continue to immerse myself in food systems work.

After graduate school, you ended up in San Francisco. Did your job at the Center for Food Safety bring you there?

After two years of traveling, working on farms, and volunteering for food and agriculture organizations, I attended graduate school at Tufts University in the Agriculture, Food, and Environment program. I gained a new perspective on food and nutrition policy, global agriculture, hunger and malnutrition, industrial food systems and trade, and local/regional foodsheds. I thought I would pursue food policy more deeply, even spending a summer at the USDA, but by graduation, I was still unsure which angle interested me the most.

Having never lived on the West Coast, but knowing there was a vibrant food scene, I landed in San Francisco. I took a position at the Center for Food Safety, a public interest nonprofit that works to protect human health through sustainable and organic agriculture. As a policy coordinator, I worked with the legal team on projects involving confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and GMOs.

You also worked for Farm Aid and FarmsReach.com before your position with Bon Appétit @ Google. What made you want to work for Bon Appétit @ Google?

I worked with FarmsReach, a small start-up providing services and resources to support small to midsize farmers across California, for nearly three years before joining Google. I wanted to not only explore the lens of food outside of the nonprofit, start-up world but also examine how to combine food with the power of Silicon Valley’s technology. I knew there would likely be the resources—whether engineers, partnerships, or capital—to have a bigger impact.

Could you describe your job at Google Food Lab?

I am the program manager of the Google Food Lab, which is a platform for thinkers and doers in the food space to apply their collective knowledge to solve our most pressing food system issues. We convene twice a year for summits at Google offices and between summits work on projects tied to our key focus areas. I plan all the summit programming (speakers, panels, work groups, keynotes, themes, agenda, etc.) while also managing core projects and communications throughout the rest of the year.

What is Google’s philosophy regarding food?

The Google Food program’s vision is to inspire the world to use food experiences to develop more sustainable lifestyles. We take a holistic approach, thinking beyond just minimizing our negative impact to how we can enrich the planet, our employees, our communities, our partners, and our suppliers.

Food plays a central role in supporting Google’s culture. Inspiring food experiences provide fuel for innovative thinking and collaboration among employees. By creating exceptional food experiences, Googlers will be happier, healthier, and more productive and creativ

5 Leadership Styles for Effective Management

By Tracey Maurer

What kind of leader are you? Do you follow the classic definition of a leader: someone who aims to influence and motivate employees to meet organizational goals and effectiveness?

If you’re doing your job, then this definition might sound familiar. But let’s get more specific. Do you have a particular leadership style that you usually use? Do you want to learn how to use your leadership skills more effectively?

Most leaders generally adhere to one or two preferred styles of leadership with which they feel comfortable. But the challenge is that great leaders have multiple leadership styles in their toolkit, and they are adept at diagnosing situations and using the right leadership styles at the right times, according to David Jones, professor of management at the University of Vermont Grossman School of Business.

Jones identifies five styles drawn from theory and research on leadership that he thinks are important for all leaders to have in their toolkit:

Directive: You’re no dictator, but you’re very clear in establishing performance objectives for your team. You’re adept at providing structure and skilled at clarifying employees’ perceptions of their roles. When needed – and this isn’t always a bad thing because some situations might require it – you tend toward micro-managing.

Supportive: If you’re approachable and empathetic, then you’re probably a supportive leader. You show concern for employees, and you treat them with dignity and respect. Your employees, in turn, feel valued and cared for. In times of change, they trust you to help them manage uncertainty.

Participative: If you’re someone who works hard for buy-in by soliciting employee input, then you’re most definitely a participative leader. You encourage employee involvement in decision-making and, more importantly, ensure they know that their views will be – and have been – considered. Depending on the situation, you consult directly with employees; other times, you delegate your authority to employees who engage in the decision-making.

Achievement-Oriented: If you always think you and your team can do better, and you push everyone to reach higher, then you clearly are achievement-oriented. You like to set “stretch” goals, and you encourage continuous improvement. You also empower employees and give them autonomy, assuming they’ll do their personal and team best. You constantly show confidence in the ability of individual employees and teams.

Transformational: Most leaders aspire to be transformational. If you are, you lead through vision. You have your eye on the future, and you model and communicate your forward-thinking commitment. You are an inspiration to employees, and they follow you because they believe in the common goals that you’ve shared and articulated.

Even if you identify with just one or two styles, you can learn from – and apply – other styles, Jones says. UVM’s Leadership and Management Professional Certificate program is a good place to start. For every situation – whether it’s communicating with an employee about poor job performance, inspiring a highly experienced team to achieve or guiding your organization through times of change and uncertainty – there are particular leadership styles and corresponding tools you can use to accomplish your objectives.

Leadership and Management Certificate program

The Leadership and Management Professional Certificate program is designed for emerging leaders, supervisors and managers of all levels, including professionals currently experiencing obstacles or looking for advancement, and executives who want to reassess their ability to influence others. The certificate program consists of eight individual leadership seminars that focus on developing leadership capabilities and skills in the context of today’s business and management challenges. The seminars are taught by industry experts and held in Burlington, V

Culinary Training Stirs Student’s Passion for Healthcare, Nutrition

A year in culinary school sparked Clementine Knight’s interest in medicine and public health.

While studying at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena — where she learned how to prepare everything from charcuterie to chicken stock — the science and safety of food piqued Knight’s interest.

“I never wanted to be a chef, but I wanted to learn how to cook,” says Knight, now a student in the UVM Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program. “Cooking led to my interest between the connection of food, nutrition, and chronic disease. On an epidemiological level, I was interested in the connections to the growing chronic disease epidemics in the US – diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.”

Clementine Knight

Before enrolling in UVM last year, Knight completed her culinary school training and also earned a bachelor’s degree in business, entrepreneurship and organizations at Brown University, where she also specialized in engineering.

Now her focus is on healthcare and she ultimately plans to pursue family medicine. Knight believes that working with patients over time affords opportunities to address problems, such as chronic diseases, that do not have quick fixes. She also hopes that more emphasis on preventative care will help community health as well as improve the economics of healthcare.

“Going to culinary school taught how me to cook and the science and chemistry of food,” she says. “I think what attracts me to being a family medicine practitioner is the long-term range of treating people of all ages.”

Building a Healthcare Foundation in the UVM Post Bac Premed Program

Since starting the post-bac program at UVM, Knight has volunteered for the UVM Medical Center’s Health Care Share Program at Milton Family Practice. The Health Care Share Program provides food insecure families and individuals with fresh produce, information on food storage and preparation, and increased access to nutritional counseling to underserved populations.

Knight is also president of MEDVIDA at UVM, the official chapter of the national MEDLIFE organization. In addition to its partnership with MEDLIFE, MEDVIDA also serves as a student hub for community service and social activism both internationally and locally. MEDLife stands for Medicine, Education, Development for Low Income Families Everywhere. The UVM chapter carries these same objectives with a focus on Vermont Individuals Developing Access (VIDA).

MEDVIDA has done some work with local refugee populations in the past, specifically doing community outreach around stroke awareness and outcomes. Knight says the group is also looking to partner with a UVM program called Healthy Fields that assists migrant workers to learn about healthcare options.

A Non-Traditional Path to Medicine

Many post-bac students come from a variety of different professional and educational backgrounds, and Knight is no exception.

Her interests were not always health related in a strict medical sense. Instead, she thought her career would focus on development, politics or policy design – all things she points out are necessary components to successful public health. Still, never did she imagine that learning how to cook would lead her to a career in medicine.

“I felt intimidated by cooking and wanted to go to culinary school and learn. As I learned cooking techniques and recipes, the real questions I wanted to ask were about access to healthy food as well as education about healthier eating options. Cooking was part of it, too — not just what we eat, but how, when, and with whom,” she says. “It was my experience at culinary school that really set me on a medical track as I realized that direct care was a powerful skill to have to create the change.”

Knight, who has spent time in Vietnam and Morocco, was drawn to UVM for its social consciousness as well as its location and diversity of served populations — from the refugee populations in the Burlington area to the migrant workers and large rural areas with limited access to medical services. She was also intrigued by Vermont for its political and social initiatives, including passing laws to label GMOs and putting forward a bill to tax sugar-sweetened beverages.

“I would hope that global health factors in to my focus or part of my career,” she says. “I’ve learned more than ever that the connection between food and health is something that always comes full circle, and that food systems, nutrition, and global health are all intricately related.”

ANALYZE THIS: PART I. TOP SKILL #4 IN THE EYES OF EMPLOYERS IS ANALYTICAL REASONING AND CRITICAL THINKING

Find out this and more in my two part blog.

First, what are we talking about?

For sure, I have simplified the definitions of these skills — there is much more to both analytical reasoning and critical thinking.

Why do employers look for analytical reasoning and critical thinking skills?

There are three major reasons:

Now, while I am working on my second part of this blog, I would like to suggest that you get busy as well.

Next, put on your critical thinking cap and try to assess your performance on these tasks and think of specific ways you can continue further developing these skills.

Food Hub Certificate Helps Organizations Find Their Place in the Food System

Ben Earle is all about using innovative approaches to solve organizational and community problems.

The executive director of Feed the Need in Durham, Ontario, enrolled in UVM’s Food Hub Management Certificate Program in 2018 to help gain a deeper knowledge and hands-on training on the role and place of food hubs in the food system.

The UVM food hub certificate, the first of its kind in the North America, launched five years ago. The program offers an innovative blend of hands-on, community-based, online and in-person learning designed to prepare students for managing food hubs.

Getting Answers in the UVM Food Hub Certificate Program

Earle, whose background is in community development and applied research, joined Feed the Need in Durham in 2015 as the organization’s executive director.

Ben Earle

Feed the Need collects and distributes food to nonprofit organizations in Durham that have programs to address food security in the community. Currently, the organization distributes food to 62 nonprofit organizations in Durham, providing them with the equivalent of 456,000 meals for those who face hunger in the community.

Earle’s role as executive director includes strategic leadership to the organization and overseeing all day-to-day operations, including logistics and warehousing, inventory management, and revenue development.

“The UVM Food Hub program helped me understand where Feed the Need fits in the food system, and what our role is as part of supply chain,” he says. “I learned how to enhance the organization’s role in the community and solve problems. We’re moving away from operating as a charity to being an organization that is part the food system.”

Earle says the program also helped him understand the challenges he saw within the organization and clarify his role.

“I had questions, I had problems,” he says. “The UVM program shined a light on the answers.”

UVM’s Food Hub Professional Certificate Program is heading to Michigan in 2019 as part of a new partnership between the University, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems.

Residential session dates for the 2019 UVM Food Hub Professional Certificate will take place in Kalamazoo, Michigan on March 4-8 and Nov. 4-8.

Upcoming Meetup! Social Impact Careers and Internships

Are you interested in making a positive impact on the world? Are you interested in an internship or professional career in social justice? The Meet Up for Social Impact might be the perfect place for you to jump-start your search for internships and jobs! This will be an excellent opportunity for you to connect with employers and promote yourself for positions in their organizations.

Here are a few tips to consider ahead of the Meet Up…

Be prepared. Login to Pioneer Careers and view the Meet Up for Social Impact in the Events section. Not only can you register for the event here (registration is open until the 24th of October), but you can also view a list of employers that will be there. It will be important for you to conduct research on employers you are interested in speaking with. Spend time on their websites, read more about the work they are doing in news articles and press releases, do research on the specific industry that they are in. The more you know about a company when you speak with their representatives on campus, the more impressive and polished you will look! There will be more employers added as we get closer to the event, so keep checking back to make sure you stay updated on who will be there. Here’s some helpful information on how to prepare and “work” an event like this one!
Practice your Elevator Pitch: Engaging with employers at this meet up will not be a formal interview. Rather you will need to be prepared for a quick conversation about you and why you’re interested in their company. This conversation often starts with a statement like, “Tell me about yourself.” The answer to this question is what we call the elevator pitch. You’ll want to give them a brief overview of your academic and internship experience, perhaps what your short and long-term goals are, and why you’re interested in working for their company. An elevator pitch is not easy, and creating an effective one will take practice. Please make an appointment with a Career Advisor to work on your elevator pitch, by using our online appointment scheduling feature in Pioneer Careers or by calling 303-871-2150.
Be yourself. Certainly connecting with employers can be intimidating, but remember that they are people just like you and I. They are here because they want to engage with students and alumni and they have an interest in working with DU students. While it’s normal to be nervous, remember that you are here for a reason and that these organizations want to hear more about you.

The Digital Native Problem

By Lauren Parren

In a recent Twitter chat (#vted), we were discussing digital citizenship and the confounded label “digital native” came up. Labels typically get in the way of fully understanding people, and these terms “digital native” and “digital immigrant” smack of ageism and false assumptions.

Coined by Marc Prensky over 14 years ago, it was meant to prompt educators to think differently about teaching and learning. The digital tools now available to learners allow us to go far beyond the walls of the classroom; one of my history teachers is blogging with students in Bhutan this week, for example, mutually solving problems through the lenses of their own culture. When I was in ninth grade, we had a dusty old textbook that managed to make even Ancient Rome boring. The world has indeed changed and teaching and learning need to change with the times.

So, what’s my problem with using the term digital native?

The terms have taken on new meaning over the year, and often are used as a short-hand way of saying that people born before 1980 just don’t ‘get it’ when it comes to using technology well. Some assume that because students today grew up with computers and cell phones they have some innate ability to use the tools well.

Not so.

They may be highly skilled at texting or Snapchatting, but unless someone teaches them to use the power of the machines well, the interactions are typically fairly shallow. The digital immigrants’ understanding of skills in communication, collaboration, problem solving, numeracy, digital citizenship, etc. are vital to encourage deeper thinking and learning.

The broad terms also suggest that all learners have the same opportunities. Consider these data from www.broadbandvt.org:

Although access has improved in the last four years, children who live in poverty are less likely to have access to devices and to Internet access. This is yet another example of a digital divide, a term we should be more concerned with today.

It also seems to suggest that because all students have technology skills, teachers don’t need to bother too much with things they don’t intuitively understand. It subtly shifts responsibility to learners.

Actually, the opposite is needed.

All teachers need to be teachers of Internet safety. All teachers need to be helping learners harness the power of technology to engage students in authentic tasks, solving real-world problems. Digital Natives and Immigrants can become Digital Partners.

Lauren Parren is a technology support specialist at Addison Northeast Supervisory Union and a Rowland Fellow.

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Useful tips for the interview preparation

Information

Research

Emotional mood

Competence

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About Chemeketa SBDC

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You graduated from UVM with a degree in environmental studies and Spanish. What made you shift gears and focus on nutrition/food systems?

Tell us about your senior thesis on artisan cheesemakers in Vermont.

After graduate school, you ended up in San Francisco. Did your job at the Center for Food Safety bring you there?

You also worked for Farm Aid and FarmsReach.com before your position with Bon Appétit @ Google. What made you want to work for Bon Appétit @ Google?

Could you describe your job at Google Food Lab?

What is Google’s philosophy regarding food?

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Building a Healthcare Foundation in the UVM Post Bac Premed Program

A Non-Traditional Path to Medicine

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Getting Answers in the UVM Food Hub Certificate Program

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