To the Class of 2019, From DelVal Alumni

Courtesy: Delaware Valley University A cap at a previous Commencement ceremony.

We are a short time away from Commencement Day. What are we going to do next? What’s life going to be like when I’m done with school?

I had the chance to interview two Delaware Valley University alumni, who gave insight into life after college. I talked with Amanda Mossor ’17, who was a zoo science major and Courtney O’Brien ’16, who was a counseling psychology major.

What were your plans after graduation?

A.M.: “I had a summer internship at a zoo in Florida that I was going to do. I left two weeks after graduation.”

C.O.: “After graduation I was unsure if I wanted to continue with a counseling psychology career. It is intimidating to have such a big decision to make at such a young age. My main goal was to continue gaining more experience in higher education, since my internships as a student were working for colleges. I ended up getting a part-time job before I got my full-time position in higher education.”

What do you currently do for a living?

A.M.: “I got hired by that zoo and now I am a full-time hoofstock keeper.”

C.O.: “Currently, I work at a university. I also have a great opportunity to take American Sign Language classes taught by deaf professors. After taking a few semesters of classes, I hope to teach American Sign Language or become an interpreter in the future.”

What advice do you have for applying for a job?

A.M.: “Find a job you love because then, the daily grind isn’t bad and you actually look forward to work.”

C.O.: “Don’t stop applying! Higher education was tough to break through. From when I graduated to when I got my current position I had to have put in about 50 to 80 applications to different universities. When you get interviews, you want to make sure you do your research on your company. It is good to know what you are going into and see what assets you can bring to the position.”

 What advice do you have for being in the workplace?

A.M.: “Try your best to be nice because you never know how tight a community is (at least in zookeeping, everyone knows everyone).”

C.O.: “Working is a lot of living and learning. You gain a lot of different experiences whether it is communicating with employers or customers, or learning new information.”

Any general advice to give about life after graduation?

A.M.: “Find a hobby that you love to break up the daily grind of work. Make friends that you can do stuff with so you have things to look forward to. Have a budget! Don’t be afraid to spend a little on yourself to go out and have fun.

C.O.: “Time management is still important! Other than that, I say just take one day at a time and enjoy the little things. Time does start to move quickly!”