RUNNING HEAD: CAREER TRAJECTORY

J. Valerie Lamarre Laurent

Career Trajectory
Perusing a career in student affairs is about the student interaction and helping students realize
their full potential in areas outside of the classroom setting. After completing my graduate
degree I would love the opportunity to work as a coordinator in Orientation or Fraternity and
Sorority Life. As I will discuss below, my work in Orientation solidified my desire to pursue a
career in student affairs. My current position as a graduate assistant in the Office of Fraternity
and Sorority Life also has given me a unique perspective in working with these student groups.
Typically when I talk to my peers interested in student affairs and enrollment management,
they all have aspirations to be presidents of colleges/universities or vice presidents of student
affairs. A vice president must function within the collegial environment in a manner that is
different from that of a dean. Individual and group meetings become the norm, and interactions
with students are less and less likely to occur (Bass, 2006). My desire to always be in
communication with students and aiding their development leads my aspiration to ultimately
become a Dean of Students at a small to medium sized institution. Being at a small or medium
institution will allow me to stay in a student-focused environment where I will still have the
ability to aid in student development. At a large university, I personally feel that many students
get lost in the crowd and dont seek out resources as much as they should. I would prefer an
institution that is small enough where my student interaction occurs with the majority of the
student population.
Based on information I have received from HigherEd Jobs, the Dean of Students is responsible
for Residence Life, Campus Life, Student Government, Fraternity and Sorority Life, New
Student Orientation, Multicultural Affairs and Judicial Affairs. The directors of these functional
areas are to report to the Dean of Students. A Dean of Students also needs to have excellent

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organizational skills; the ability to articulate a vision and actualize organizational goals; excellent
critical thinking and problem-solving skills; strong communication and interpersonal skills;
experience in staff supervision and development; and demonstrated experience with mediation
and negotiation.( (Internet Employment Linkage, 1996-2013). Through my career I plan on
achieving these skills.
Many experiences within my undergraduate study have led me to become interested in
becoming a student affairs professional. Joining my Greek lettered organization, Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority, inspired me to become more involved in other organizations on campus. I became
heavily involved with the Black Student Alliance first as historian and the following year I
became the Co-President of the organization. Through my involvement as president I was able to
meet many students, provide them with advice on how to be successful in college and how to use
the resources that the university provides. The experience in which I am most proud of my role
in is the National Pan-Hellenic Council. During my time as president I implemented policies that
were lacking, and found myself facing dissention among group members. I took this very
seriously and planned a retreat which was very beneficial in getting members to work with one
another. I enjoyed planning and facilitating this retreat that helped the organization grow and
strengthen the bonds between the historically African American sororities and fraternities on
campus.
My junior year I had the opportunity to serve as a Parent Program Assistant for New Student
Orientation this really solidified my desire to go in to student affairs I was able to see the
differences that I could make not only on incoming students, but their parents and family
members as well. As Parent Program Assistant I learned a lot about myself and improved on
public speaking and organizational skills. It was also in this role that I learned that the university

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experience is not only about the student attending the institution, but the family of that student as
well. It was in this role that I found myself emulating student affairs professionals and learning
that as a leader, planning and organization are always necessary. This role as Parent Program
Assistant is what solidified my choice in in perusing a Student Affairs as a profession. Through
all of this involvement I was able to become acquainted with many student affairs professionals
that always set a great example for the type of professional that I want to become. The intensive
training semester long training , long hours, nights and weekends working also made me realize
the student affairs is all about that passion you have.
As a graduate student I have a few goals that I will like to reach prior to graduation that
would provide me with different opportunities to grow professionally. I think mentorship is
important in any career field, one of my short term goals is to find a mentor. I am looking for
someone who is heavily involved in the profession and is able to give me constructive criticism
on areas that I need growth. The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators,
NASPA gives me a great overview of the profession and a multitude of information on the
various functional areas within student affairs. I am currently a member of a NASPA which I
believe provides me with information about the holistic development of college students and can
provide me with professional development. NASPA provides its members with web based
seminars, networking opportunities and also keeps you up to date with the issues and trends that
affect Student Affairs. One of my goals is to serve as a volunteer at a national conference which I
believe help me develop within the field, by providing me with the opportunity to network and
gain insight from other professionals.
As a second year graduate student another one of my goals is to attend The Placement
Exchange which is a collaboration between six different professional student affairs

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organizations to create almost a one stop shop for job placement in the field of student affairs.
To prepare for The Placement Exchange, I must practice with mock interviews, update my
resume, and practice situational questioning. It is important that I also research different colleges
and universities that peak my interest and focus on what their school can offer me so I may be
invited for an interview months in advance. Through The Placement Exchange I plan to find my
first student affairs job which will lead me to longest goal of becoming a Dean of Students.
While there is not a direct path for becoming a Dean of Students I have put together a small
career trajectory that will assist me in reaching my goal. Dean of Students is a generalist role, so
to reach my goal I must gain different experiences from different functional areas in student
affairs.
As a coordinator in new student orientation, I will develop skills in planning large programs,
set up expectations for student orientation staff and work with other departments to train my
student orientation staff. After serving in coordinator role for two to three years I plan on moving
into Director Role of Multicultural Affairs and Student Trio programs. In this director role I
would work to provide under-represented students with additional support thus aiding in
retention. The majority Dean of Students positions require a doctoral degree which I plan on
starting during my time as of Multicultural Affairs Director. After five years and the completion
of my doctoral degree I will become an Assistant Dean of Students where I will report to the
dean of students, and provide leadership with strong links to the mission and strategic initiatives
of the college, including access, diversity and global engagement. (Internet Employment
Linkage, 1996-2013). Finally after serving as the Assistant Dean of Students for five to seven
years I will reach my goal of becoming a Dean of Students.

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References
Bass, J. (2006). Vice president for student affairs and dean of students: Is it possible to do it all? New
Directions For Student Services, 45-52.

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Internet Employment Linkage, I. (1996-2013). HigherEdJobs. Retrieved from HigherEdJobs:
https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/