College Experiences That Helped A Park Interpreter At California State Parks Succeed
Michelle, a California State Park Interpreter, emphasizes the importance of experience working with children for this career path, stating that "if you are interviewing...and you don't have experience teaching or working with children...they might win it over you". Beyond that, reaching out to professionals in the field and utilizing available resources is key to success, as "anyone working for state parks is gonna be very eager to help you".
Communication, Networking, Experience with Children, Career Exploration, Practical Advice
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michelle Claassen
California State Park Interpreter (Naturalist)
CA State Parks
Cuesta College and Liberty University
Communications
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Government & Public Sector
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Gain experience working with children: Michelle emphasizes that experience working with children is highly valuable and may be a deciding factor in the hiring process for similar positions.
2. Develop strong communication skills: While acknowledging that these skills can be developed on the job, Michelle highlights the importance of being comfortable talking to people, a crucial aspect of interacting with park visitors.
3. Network with professionals in the field: Michelle strongly recommends reaching out to professionals working in California State Parks to seek advice, gain insights into the necessary experience, and receive assistance with the application process. She assures that people in this field are generally very willing to help those wanting to enter the profession.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
Gosh, I had no idea I was going to have this career. I think a lot of people will walk in my same shoes. Everything I did, I use on the job now, so whatever skills and experience you can gain will be very useful, no matter what it is.
So if you're looking to have the career that I do, make sure you are getting experience with children, working with children. That is something I did a lot of in other jobs randomly, which set me up to be able to even apply for this job.
If you are interviewing for this position, or even a senior park position, and you don't have experience teaching or working with children, someone next to you who maybe isn't as ready for the job but has that experience might win it over you. So, very specifically for this role, make sure you have that.
Outside of that, just make sure you are comfortable talking with people. That is something you can learn on the job. Don't worry, because I was a very shy person before, but it just left me.
Just make sure that you reach out to someone in the interpretation field with state parks and say, "Hey, this is my experience, and I want to do what you do. Does this fit?" Make sure you are using your resources because anyone working for state parks is eager to help you and help you prepare.
Call our district office or wherever you're at and ask people in the industry because we're all friendly and we all want you with us, and we want you to succeed. If you need help working on an application or understanding what experience you might need, just reach out. I think that's my biggest advice, and what I probably should have done a little bit more before applying.
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