Talia Schatz ’08 is a career counselor at Barnard College, in the Barnard Career Development Office, in New York City. She graduated from Wellesley with a degree in Latin American Studies and a concentration in Art History. The Center for Work and Service reached out to Talia to check-in to see what she’s been up to since graduation.
Please give a brief background on yourself and your career.
I graduated from Wellesley in 2008 where I majored in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Art History. As with many college students, I had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated. At the time, this dilemma did not bother me one bit, as I thought it would be easy to figure this out post-graduation. Little did I know that the economy was about to crash and that I would be one of many recent graduates scrambling for an entry level job.
After graduation, I secured a temporary, summer job at Georgetown Law’s Office of Career Services. Once I began working at Georgetown, I realized that I truly loved the higher education environment. I was hired full-time some months later as the Assistant Manager of Legal Recruitment. I really enjoyed working with a strong team to help students find meaningful work.
Following Georgetown, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in Social Work and ultimately obtained my Masters from New York University. After working at the Queens Child Advocacy Center and NYU’s Wasserman Career for Career Development, I accepted a full-time position as a career counselor at Barnard College. I absolutely love my current job – I am fortunate to work with a fantastic team of administrators and the most intelligent, lovely students around!
How has your career changed since you originally envisioned it at Wellesley? What other careers did you consider as a student?
I had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated from Wellesley. I knew that I enjoyed art and culture (hence, my major in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Art History) and, for a while, thought I might want to go into museums and curating. While studying abroad, I interned at an art gallery, and realized that the long hours of solitude and intense years of specialization and research didn’t really suit me.
When I really think about what I most enjoyed doing at Wellesley, without a doubt, it was meeting one-on-one with the students in my hall as a R.A. and First Year Mentor, helping them find productive solutions to their issues and thoughtfully addressing their concerns (under the counsel of the very wise Don Leach). I was deeply invested and energized by this work, which I now continue to do every day—it just took me a couple of years to fully realize that I could transform that into a meaningful career.
How has Wellesley contributed to your career?
Wellesley instilled a great deal of confidence in me. I learned how to think critically, ask questions and listen carefully. I also learned how to navigate challenges, take ownership of my mistakes and cultivate a strong sense of self. Non ministrari sed ministrare, for me, means finding ways to make the world a better place in both large and small ways.
What is a typical work day or work week like for you?
A typical workday starts with walking to work (I am very lucky to live in Morningside Heights, a few blocks from Barnard). I get to work at 9am, respond to email and check my calendar to prepare for students that are coming in that day. Between 10am and 1pm I generally have hour-long appointments with students, working individually with them helping to define their goals (oftentimes through assessments like Myers Briggs or the Strong Initiative), strategizing with them to make sure their resumes and cover letters are as professional as possible, conducting mock interviews and coaching them on best ways to network with alumnae and professionals in their field of interest. From 1pm to 2pm I might meet a friend for lunch in the neighborhood. Between 2pm and 5pm I’ll have more student appointments and maybe some time to work on one of the programs I oversee like Take a Barnard Student to Work Day- a mentoring program where students spend a work day with an alumna learning about what she does in her office. I leave at 5pm unless I’m staying late to run a workshop or present for a class meeting.
What piece of advice would you offer students looking to get into higher education/career counseling?
First, for students thinking about going into any profession, I would tell them to trust themselves. You know yourself better than anyone else and you know when something feels like a good fit—and when it doesn’t.
For students specifically interested in higher education/career counseling, I would recommend nurturing your passion for learning about student development and the “world of work.” Take on mentoring or counseling opportunities in college, shadow alumnae who do the kind of work you are interested in so that you can get a better sense of what that work environment is like. If shadowing is not possible, meet them for coffee, to discuss the “ins and outs” of the profession and ask questions. Cultivate a relationship with a mentor, and take advantage of networking and volunteer prospects. Research what kind of additional training is most useful to be competitive for the positions that seem most appealing to you. Read everything you can about various aspects of the profession—from current trendy books like Lean In to old standbys like What Color is My Parachute—follow sites like WetFeet and other career development handles on Twitter. These resources can help give you added insight into various issues integral to the field.
What do you wish you had known as a student?
Although easier said than done, I wish I had learned to get comfortable with ambiguity. In college, I wanted everything figured out as soon as possible. However, life is rarely straightforward, so I think it would have benefitted me to know that it’s ok not to know. I have realized that part of figuring life out is actually living it, making mistakes, and moving forward with a better understanding of yourself. As my grandfather used to say “Act to promote the power to act” – when you take steps forward you create a framework which allows you to continue to grow.