College Experiences That Helped An Assistant Director of Development At University of California, Davis Succeed
According to Ryan, the most important thing one can do in college is to "try a multitude of different things," even if it means failing, as this period offers a unique opportunity for self-discovery without significant career repercussions; ultimately, figuring out early what one likes and dislikes will "save you so much in the long run" in finding a fulfilling career, especially in fields like nonprofit work where passion is a driving force.
Self-Discovery, Experimentation, Failure Tolerance, Career Planning, Passion Alignment
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ryan Advincula
Assistant Director of Development
University of California, Davis
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis: MBA
Entertainment, Music & Arts, Political Science, American Studies
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Try a multitude of different things in college, even if you fail, to discover your likes and dislikes without long-term career consequences.
2. Use college as a unique opportunity to stretch yourself and experiment, which is crucial for self-discovery and future career satisfaction.
3. Identifying your passions and minimizing disliked tasks early in your career, especially in nonprofits, is essential for long-term happiness and success.
Transcript
What did you do in college to set you up for success in your career?
I think the most important thing you can do in college is try a multitude of different things. Even if you have to fail at them, really stretch yourself in ways you don't know if you can.
But try. You don't – it's kind of the only opportunity you'll really get to do that without having to worry about your long-term career, resume gaps.
Taking advantage of that is key to your lifetime happiness. You're going to have to find something to do, and you want to shape yourself to know yourself, know what you want in a way that's conducive to failure more so than in the real world.
It took a lot of failure. Even now, I still find there's a function in my job that I really would rather not do. I wish if I'd touched it when I was in college, I might have been able to vouch for either this position or another, and not had this function built in.
This is especially important in the nonprofit sector, where your work and your passion are your driving force. But for everybody else, of course, you want to do something that you like, minimize things you don't like. Figuring out what that is early will save you so much in the long run.