by Jill LingardSince February 2007, Gregg Henderschiedt has worked in UF’s Career Resource Center as the Senior Assistant Director for Career Development. Prior to coming to Florida, he held several positions in academic advising, mental health, and drug counseling. Gregg recently had an article published in the journal Academic Advising Today and will have a book review published in the January 2010 edition of the NACADA Journal. We sat down recently to discuss his NACADA and UF experiences.
Tell me about the process involved in getting published in the NACADA Journal and Academic Advising Today.
Last year, I attended the national NACADA conference in Chicago and went to a session called "How to Get Published with NACADA." Fearing budget cuts might soon start to restrict my conference participation, I figured this would offer me another avenue for professional development. The session was very informative and the speakers emphasized that they’re looking for best practice submissions from student affairs practitioners working ‘in the trenches,’ as well as more theoretical papers. That got me to thinking that there really isn’t much written about how we can help students weather these challenging economic times, which is impacting everything from their choice of major to landing that first job after graduation. I pitched this idea to the NACADA contacts I met at last year’s conference and they were very eager for me to pursue the article.
What’s your article and upcoming book review about?
My article was published in the June 2009 edition of NACADA’s Academic Advising Today and is called "Helping Students Weather the Storm: Career Advising in Tough Economic Times." In it I describe the kinds of things students can do to optimize their success in landing their first professional position after graduating. The tips I share are mostly common sense strategies, but they’re even more important now in the current economic climate. I also discuss the pros and cons of grad school, which can sometimes serve more as a life raft to graduating seniors in a challenging job market than a sensible career move.
My upcoming book review in the NACADA Journal is on Backpack to Briefcase, published in 2006. This short guide attempts to bridge the gap for students between navigating university requirements to understanding workplace issues, professional networking, and career planning.
Switching gears to UF, describe the population of students you currently work with.
My focus is on first and second year students, which by its nature mean lots of exploratory students. On top of my regular career counseling responsibilities, I am very involved in Preview (with students and parents) and with First Year Florida classes.
What do you perceive are the differences between academic and career advising?
As career counselors, we focus on the core decision process that students engage in which affect their career choice. I frequently refer my students to academic advisors in between our appointments for more specific information on tracking and courses. Career counselors help students decide which trip they want to take. Academic advisors provide the map!
What keeps you motivated to do your job?
There’s a never ending supply of students who don’t know what they want to do with their lives! Our various academic tracking systems aren’t always kind to students struggling with their choice of major. It feels good to be able to provide space and guidance for these students to wrestle with some of the most important questions of their lives.
What do you like least about your job?
Budget cutbacks haven’t been fun for anybody. Also, UF is such a big campus—it can be challenging to keep up with all that’s going on here. But that same size also provides amazing opportunities for students at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
What’s the best thing a student ever told you?
This isn’t ‘best’ in the compliment sense, but it’s something I’ll always remember. Back when I was in Virginia, I remember working with an at-risk, first-generation student from a rural background. He wasn’t performing well, but he wasn’t lazy. He told me, “I really WANT to do well in college and I don’t even know where to begin.” That student taught me never to take anything for granted when working with students and to meet them where they are.
What advice would you give a brand new advisor at UF?
Never forget that it’s always about the student. We all have competing priorities to keep up with—meetings, budgets, etc.—that take us away from students. Remember when you’re sitting in front of that student, you might be the only adult at UF he or she will connect with. Be fully present for that.
What advice do you give a brand new student at UF?
Take time and keep an open mind. At 18, their identity is really tied to their major. Exploratory students feel the pressure of falling behind (even when they’re not) when they don’t come in the door on day one with a major declared. I encourage new students to give themselves time to make this important decision, as well as an open mind to discover those ‘found majors’ they’d never even heard of before.
What’s your secret for balancing your work and home lives?
I try not to check e-mail at home or while on vacation. I don’t always succeed at this.
What might many of us in UF’s advising community be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve been taking accordion lessons since last spring. And I promise to perform at the next UAC meeting. (Editor’s note: I made that last sentence up, but not the one before it! JL )
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