Thursday 31 March 2016

Career Snapshot - Lindsay Jessup - Job Shadow Week Participant 


Lindsay Jessup is a 5th year Sociology student born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s the VP Media for the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association and is pursuing a diploma in Public Relations next fall after graduation. 

What was your experience working with the Office of the Registrar during Job Shadow Week? Did your job shadow experience relate to a position that you would like to pursue after graduation? 

When I applied for a job shadow with the University’s Office of the Registrar, I didn’t realize how nostalgic I would come to feel about my time on this campus. My sixth and final Career Centre job shadow encouraged me to get into the minds of both prospective and current U of A students– and this placement could not have come at a better time. In the midst of applying for graduation, scheduling grad photos, and penciling in my final exam schedule, I got to reflect on the aspects of the U of A that made me choose to “start here”.

I spent the day with Sheila Graham, acting Associate Director of Marketing & Communications. Through welcome packages, Instagram posts, and more, her team paints a green & gold picture that many of us can relate to. They aim to show prospective students what campus life is like above and beyond the classroom. Sure these kids care about what courses they can enroll in, but they also want to know that they can toss Frisbees on Quad in between classes, catch a perogy barbeque, and hop a quick bus ride to Whyte ave. They want the whole package.

I quickly identified with the Office of the Registrar’s mission. Coming from a social sciences background, I saw the importance of placing myself back in a 17-year-old’s shoes. The Office has set its sights on understanding the demographic: their barriers, and their objectives. If you can manage to wrap your head around all of that, you might just be able to show a prospective student why U of A is the right choice for them. 

This job shadow reaffirmed for me, that pursuing a career in Communications is the right path. Sheila’s team’s creativity could be the difference between someone stepping foot on this campus-- or not. It helped me realize I want to put my skills towards making that kind of difference in a young adult’s life.  Who knows what trajectory any one of us would be on had we chosen another institution? 

At the end of this experience, I was impressed by the extensive work that goes on behind the scenes, at the Office of the Registrar, to promote the UAlberta way of life. As I prepare to walk across the Jubilee’s stage, I can’t wait to see what comes from the next generation of Green & Gold.

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