By: Megan Boone, Career Community Advisor
The Health Care and Science Community in the Career Center encourages students to explore various career pathways and to connect with alumni that are working in the field. There are many careers to explore within Health Care and Science beyond the clinical focus, including the field of Genetic Counseling.
The Health Care and Science team invited Gabrielle Iverson (BA, Psychology and Arabic Studies ‘16) to the quarterly How I Got This Job event to speak on her DePaul experience and her pathway to becoming a Genetic Counseling Assistant at the Mayo Clinic. She discussed specific trends in the industry, advised which relevant experiences to gain while in school, and highlighted the importance of transferable skills.
Through Gabrielle’s DePaul story, she described different organizations and clubs she had involvement with, on-campus jobs she held, and a few of the classes that sparked her initial interest in Genetic Counseling. Though DePaul did not and does not currently have a specific Genetic Counseling program, she shared that many of her experiences gave her transferable skills that she is currently using as a Genetic Counseling Assistant and as a graduate student at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She specifically highlighted her role as a Building Manager at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center. Through her role as a Building Manager, she described that she gained leadership and mentorship skills, which has piqued her interest in mentoring future Genetic Counselors that are new to the field.
Gabrielle advised that all experiences, in any industry, have transferable skills that can be highlighted when applying to jobs and graduate school programs. She shared, “What has been most helpful for me over time in applying for jobs and applying to grad school, was thinking about what it was about those specific experiences that I can apply, sometimes it’s being very creative about that.”
Watch the full event recording here:
Want to discuss your transferable skills and how they fit into your future aspirations? That’s exactly where we come in. Whether you’re a freshman or an alumnus, it’s never too early or late to utilize our services. Book an appointment with Megan, or another member of the advising community through Handshake, or by calling the front desk at (773) 325-7531.