Ali Punjani, Go-to-Market Professional at GiveCampus is also a Gates Millennium Scholar, and a TEDxPonceyHighland Co-Organizer. Listen in as he speaks on Letting Passion Drive Your Career during our ABSTRAKT Podkast.
Starting his career without a particular “plan”, Ali worked in a few internships and gained experience that would help him determine his actual career path. His inspiration came from having a direct effect on things that mattered.
Join us as we learn how to leverage past experiences to ensure rewarding long careers.
Transcript Excerpt:
I think it depends on the conversation. Sometimes I’d say it does come up where because the root of it, you’re trying to improve the student experience. By asking questions like what are your students really asking for right now? Are they asking for more hours of operations or dining halls and libraries and that sort of thing? That’s kind of what you’re thinking about.
Are they asking for more social connections on campus? More guidance when it comes to career exploration and academic programs like what is the actual route and then once you get there? I found myself in some instances being like “Oh yeah, I remember when ‘insert a story about when I was in college here’”. But that’s really relevant, and I think that does two things. One, it builds this bridge between myself and that Dean with a sense of “I understand the obstacles that your students are facing and that your staff is facing”.
I worked in residence life for two years. From a housing and programming perspective, I can also bring that into the conversation. And two is that this the obstacles your students are facing aren’t uncommon. This is happening at universities all across the nation. Whether it’s a top-tier university or a local Community College, these issues are prevalent in the masses. They’re clearly the work that we are doing isn’t just applicable to XY or Z schools. It can be used as one part of a toolkit to help these students feel more empowered to do the work they want to do and achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves.
