LSJ hosts annual career panel

Submitted by Katelyn May Clark on

LSJ majors filled a HUB meeting room recently to hear from alums who have built successful careers.

The panelists, Liz Kent (class of 2013), Steve Yim (’06), Anica Stieve (’09), Ashley Kelmore(’01), and Glen Yaguchi (’88), offered numerous tidbits of advice and answered student questions, which ranged from how to build a winning resume to whether or not your GPA really matters.

Each panelist explained the various barriers they faced after graduating. Kelmore, who is now Response Planning Manager at Public Health Seattle King County, made a last minute decision not to attend the University of California – Los Angeles Law School, a decision she does not regret. Stieve worked as a waitress for years after graduation because of a diminishing job market. When she finally landed a job as a project manager for the Center for Children and Youth Justice, she was very grateful.

“I think one of the most important things I did was…keep my feet wet in what I thought I wanted to do and tried to keep in mind that skills in other fields do transfer over,” Stieve said.

Kent, who now works as a marketing and outreach coordinator for Sellen Construction, felt similarly. She never imagined herself to be working in the construction industry, but luckily she is still able to use the skills she obtained as an LSJ major on a day to day basis.

“LSJ teaches you to synthesize a lot of really complex information in ways that are approachable,” Kent said. “I know nothing about construction at all, but a lot of what I do is take information from really intelligent people and make it into something that anyone can read. A lot of what I did in LSJ was about the stories and the impact, and I am using that now.”

Kent also offered tips for current students: take classes outside of your major and make yourself an interesting person.

“The more that you have to make yourself an interesting person, the better,” Kent said. “There are a bunch of people coming out of school with similar degrees, but there aren’t a lot of people our age that are really deep and well read. So read a lot and do research into your field.”

Each panelist agreed on the importance of making yourself and your resume unique, but to also realize that the future is unpredictable.

Yaguchi, who heads his own international law firm, emphasized the importance of being sure of what you want to do, especially if you are considering law school.

“It is not for everybody to be a lawyer,” he said. “It’s three years of your life and a lot of money. Investigate what it is about, talk to a few lawyers, do an externship.”

Contact LSJ Adviser Alyssa Penner if you would like to get in touch with any of the panelists.

Kate Clark | LSJ Communications Assistant 

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