Hamline Career Cast

Cat Polivoda owns Cake Plus-Size Resale - a body positive, plus-size thrift shop in Minneapolis, MN. Focused on fostering a shop space and local community centered on radical self love and size-acceptance, she is dedicated to making plus-size fashion more accessible and affordable. Cat graduated from Hamline University is 2010 with majors in Global Studies and German.

She was an Assistant Area Coordinator for Manor and Sorin, was active in HUSC, participated in Catalyst trips, hosted her first clothing swap with friends as a student… the list goes on. Cat has a master’s degree in Training & Development and extensive experiences working and teaching at various colleges and universities across the country. She even co-hosts her very own body-positivity podcast, Matter of Fat, with a fellow Piper (Saraya Boghani, '12).

In conversation with our own Ayn Rassier, Cat talks to us about the ups and downs of owning a business, how she found her passion and what advice she has to promoting your own unique interests. Her story spans her time as an undergraduate student, her foray into graduate school, life changes and cross-country moves all while cultivating a business. From humble beginnings to establishing her very own culture-creating store, we get the inside scoop! 

Do you have questions or concerns? Are there topics you'd like us to cover in an episode? Please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for listening!

In this episode of the podcast, Ayn sits down with Rin Heise to discuss a topic that has generated interest year after year at Hamline; AmeriCorps and specifically College Possible. Rin shares with us her journey from her first year on campus to her volunteer work post-graduation.

August 2020 Update: Since recording her podcast episode, Rin has started and graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Masters in Education in the Higher Education program. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts and is seeking positions at nearby colleges and universities related to student support/advising/affairs and administration. COVID-19 is forcing her to be flexible and look at Plan B and Plan C options. She is working on a TEFL certificate online to teach English online while job-searching.

“Some advice I have for current students is to take care of themselves first and foremost, but be sure to be in touch with their professors. Hamline is a place where, in my experience, professors notice when you’re gone from class and appreciate hearing from you to know you’re ok. Do whatever you need to do to focus during your online classes- they still count! 

For graduating seniors, my advice is to celebrate your accomplishment- really, you deserve it! Then, look for work that can be completed virtually for the time being. While you’re looking, use LinkedIn Learning (or any online learning platform) to take some free classes to help you build skills to make you an even more attractive job candidate (in addition to your degree from a mighty fine university). What I’ve found helpful for my job search is to keep an updated spreadsheet of a diverse group of organizations along with contacts at each organization. These contacts were found via the alumni networks at Hamline, Harvard, and my AmeriCorps network (LinkedIn search). Use this time to build connections!”

Want to connect with Rin? Find her on LinkedIn or send an email to [email protected] .

This episode is being released in a turbulent time following the murder by police officers of George Floyd and an inexhaustible list of other Black Americans, named and unnamed. This needs to be acknowledged in large part because this episode was recorded long before these events came to pass and its content does not speak directly to the endless list of injustices suffered by the Black community. Although it is not said at any point in the episode, the creators and producers of this podcast have a desire and a duty to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter. 

In the month of June, Hamline Career Cast is sharing an episode featuring Kevin Yang ('14). At the time of recording, Kevin Yang was the Coordinator of Civic Engagement and the Hamline to Hamline Collaboration, working out of the Wesley Center of Hamline University. Kevin graduated from Hamline with a degree in Political Science. Kevin is also a multidisciplinary artist working in the mediums of spoken word, digital media, and storytelling. He is an organizer with Street Stops and Mountain Tops, a group dedicated to sharing arts based curriculum with Hmong communities internationally.

Through the episode, Kevin shares his wisdom on the social challenges of transitioning to life after college, the value of Americorps, his love for the Twin Cities and specifically St. Paul/Midway area, and his values for art, community, culture, study abroad and more. 

Questions? Concerns? Topics you'd like us to cover in an episode? Email us at [email protected] and thank you for listening!

After a long hiatus, the Career Development Center is finally able to share new episodes of our podcast! While the episodes you'll be hearing were recorded in Fall of 2018, the content has remained relevant to the concerns and experiences of Pipers. Many include updates for Spring of 2020 from our guests!
This episode focuses on Marisa Gonzalez Morseth, a 2015 grad whose path to career has not been a straight line but who has gained great insights over her journey. She shares with us her best tips and advice from how to navigate choosing a major to her hopeful outlook on approaching the job search. 
Marisa shared with us before this episode aired: 

“It's a bit bittersweet thinking back to when I interviewed with you, actually- I really felt like I had it "together" at that point, and that I knew my career trajectory, "where I was going", etc. I LOVED my job working at MNHS in the exhibit department and expected to be there long term.

About 7 months after I talked with you I was called into a meeting at work by a higher-up and told that due to department budget issues my position was selected to be terminated/ I was laid off. I was blindsided and went through a lot of grief surrounding the loss of my job. I know when I talked to you we talked a lot about how sometimes you just have to go with the flow and see where things take you- this was not what I had in mind! Jokes aside, the better part of last year was hard. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about at the time, but now I feel it's important to loosen the stigma around being laid off. It can happen to anyone at any time, and for no fault of your own. You might feel like you failed, but over time you will know that it wasn't up to you. I had to work through the grieving process of what I thought my future looked like.

Let's start with the "not so good" of last year: I spent the better part of 2019 on the job hunt, in a constant cycle of job applications, interviews, and rejections. My field is very, very scarce in local job openings- and when there is a position open there are hundreds of applicants. I was in one interview where I was told I was one of six people out of 400 applicants to get an interview... but I didn't get the job. I got very, very close a few times last year, but not quite close enough. It's a numbers game, all you can do is your best and persist- and I know that the right job will be there for me one of these days. I have not yet been able to get back into a full time position since being laid off.

Now the "good" things! It wasn't all bad.
Early last year I scored a really amazing freelance job doing research for Minnesota Public Radio's "The Current" podcast called "The Current Rewind". (It's a podcast on MN music history.) I did historical research to build the development of each podcast episode, and it was such a great professional development experience. Recently I was asked to return to provide content for the show's second season. I just wrapped up working on that in February.
Being on the job hunt made me try new professional development opportunities I wouldn't have had the time to do before. I started volunteering at the Richfield Historical Society and am currently leading their museum exhibit development. I recently also joined their board of directors, and am really thrilled to be spreading my wings in new ways through their organization. I feel that I've built a lot of confidence through this.
I was on TV! In an effort to "say yes" to more I went on a local TV show called "It's a Woman's World" to talk about my hobby as an amateur public historian who collects old photographs and researches the people in them (... I DID say my skills were niche, lol).
Bouncing off that last point I REALLY explored my skills as a researcher last year, and spend many days in the archives and on databases researching just for fun. It was nice in a way to spend time doing what I love on my own terms, rather than only researching for work and the topics that the job mandated.

What's next? Great question. I was still deep in the process of job searching, applying, interviewing when the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. Now the field that I work in, museums, are facing a very uncertain future. Local museums are closed down through June, and potentially through the end of this year. There is basically no hiring. Right now I, like many, feel like I'm on shaky ground. It's tough, but I know that the road to success is often uncertain. As of today I'm trying to enjoy the time I have at home while we all hunker down through this pandemic. I know I'm not the only one left out in the cold on the job hunt right now.

I still very much stand by my blind optimism that shone through in my interview with you. Sometimes we have no idea where we're going until we get there, and we have to embrace the uncertainty. It's worked for me in the past, and I know it will in the future.”

Questions? Concerns? Topics you'd like us to cover in an episode? Email us at [email protected] and thank you for listening!

Catherine Jacobson (Piper of 2017) is currently a second year Master of Public Health student in Administration and Policy as the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. In this week's episode - the first of season 2!! - she sits down with Masha to talk about how her education at Hamline connects with her graduate school studies and her goals for the future. 

Catherine's career and passion has a focus on health policy, health equity, and disability rights. She has had six internships revolved around local, state, and federal policy across various sectors. Catherine is a recent graduate of Hamline (2017), where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Sciences and Social Justice. During her time at Hamline Catherine was extremely involved in multiple student organizations.

Get to know more about her story by listening to this episode and reach out to Catherine on LinkedIn!

Ask questions and request new episodes! Reach out to us at Hamline Career Development Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HamlineCareer 

Please join us in welcoming Ayn Rassier into the position of Internship Program Coordinator! Her official start date, what excites her about this position and her life as a Piper exploring the world of work is all wrapped up for you in this episode! Check it out and let us know what you think at [email protected]. 

You can reach Ayn to congratulate her yourself at [email protected] or find her on LinkedIn.

Swing by the office in Drew Science 113 to connect with Ayn or to wish Lauren the best!

Masha Finn, one of our fabulous Career Counselors in the Career Development Center, joins us in the latest episode of Hamline Career Cast to discuss self-assessments available for free to Hamline students. 

We offer two assessments; the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI, Myers-Briggs) and the Strong Interest Inventory. These assessments are tools we use to help students better understand themselves, to explore possible career options and to build up the very important skill of talking about your greatest assets and qualities. 

If you have any questions about the episode, you can reach Masha Finn at [email protected] or to schedule YOUR assessment appointment, call 651 523 2302. 

The Hamline Career Cast goes traveling! For this exciting episode, Lauren Kavan takes HCC on the road to meet up with Wolfgang Hilse '07 Hamline graduate and financial advisor. How did he go from studying coffee shops to working at AXA Advisors? What does he love about his work? What would he do differently if he could go back to Hamline and start over? Find out in episode 17 or reach out to Wolfgang yourself! 

Wolfgang on LinkedIn

[email protected]

For more information about the externship summer opportunities visit the Hamline Career Link and find posting #102262. 

Questions or comments? [email protected]

Thank you for listening!

Spring semester is when most students start thinking about summer jobs. Today's episode features Evan Waldera, a recruiter from Sovos Compliance, who had all kinds of great information to share with students, from first years to seniors, looking for work and experience for future careers. 

Evan can be reached via LinkedIn and via email at [email protected].

For current openings at Sovos Compliance check out the North America Careers page, keywords "Spring 2018".

If you don't have a LinkedIn account, here are some resources to get you started! Please connect with the Career Development Center at 651 523 2302, by stopping in to Drew Science 113 or by sending an email to [email protected] to schedule an appointment to spiff up or get started on a LinkedIn profile. 

Thank you for listening and please send us your questions and suggestions for future episodes.

Do you know what defines you? Which characteristics make you stick out at the best of times? How do you talk about those qualities and let others know about them?

Knowing your strengths (and those things you're maybe not so good at) is quintessential to you! From the language to describe yourself to potential employers to having a grasp of projects that challenge you, having the right words to frame the skills that make you shine can improve your whole experience. 

Lacey Squier, Hamline's Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership, walks us through the Clifton StrengthsFinder self assessment that reports on your top 5 Strengths, what they mean and how to leverage them every day. 

If you have more questions after the podcast for Lacey or about the StrengthsFinder assessment you can reach out to her at [email protected] or [email protected]. 

Questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes? Let us know! Email [email protected]!