Career Roadmap
Susan's work combines: Education, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
New Prairie
Bachelor's Degree
Elementary Education and Teaching
Purdue University-North Central Campus
Graduate Degree
Library and Information Science
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Librarians & Media Collections Specialists:
Bachelor's Degree: Elementary Education and Teaching
Graduate Degree: Library and Information Science
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
6th grade I decided I was going to college.
2.
8th grade I was able to get my grades up enough to get into college prep classes.
3.
Accepted at Purdue University as a math major but switched to education.
4.
Graduated college but struggled to find full time teaching job.
5.
Got into banking and was heavily recruited to stay in banking but decided to pursue my masters.
6.
Enrolled in Masters program for library science.
7.
Got a position with my hometown library system.
8.
Promoted over ten years and now serving on Library's core management team.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
I'd say there were three main roadblocks in my path that could have caused me to move in a different direction. Lack of opportunity, bad advice from other professionals, and encouragement from others that almost kept me from pursuing my ultimate goal.
How I responded:
I did my research/homework. I asked for more than one opinion and advice from others. I looked at the long term and didn't give up despite the fact that it was taking longer to get where I wanted to be than I might like. I worked hard to understand myself and know what I really wanted to do. I took the risk knowing that I might fail, but feeling confident that trying was better than giving up.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I worked my way through college to avoid debt. It took me longer, but it benefited me greatly. It also kept me motivated to stay in college. Doing a job that I had to do to earn money taught me to stay in college and pursue my long term goals.