Archive for September, 2010
How I’m Powered by Orange
My last day at Oregon State University (OSU) is September 30th. I think it’s fitting as my first day at OSU was also in September. Six years ago I moved out to Oregon from Chicago, IL. It was a tremendous life transition. I had been working at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the decision to leave UIC/Chicago was a big one for a young professional from the Midwest.
When I first started looking at graduate programs in higher education/student affairs I had no idea that I would end up moving to Oregon. I remember checking up on about 5 or 6 programs. I kept coming back to OSU as my first choice. Eventually, I decided to apply for the College Student Services Administration (CSSA) program at OSU. It was the only grad program that I submitted an application to. In hindsight, I probably should have applied to more than one school just in case OSU didn’t accept me. However, sometimes you have to put all of your eggs in a single basket and hope for the best. Concentrating on a single application made my process extremely focused. I was going to get into grad school at Oregon State. There wasn’t a “plan B.”
A band that I’ve been listening to for a very long time
I love that Jason and Mike have been able to keep making music for all these years…The Nadas have been one of my favorite bands ever since I was an undergrad at the University of Northern Iowa. I think it’s pretty funny that they just busted out Eye of the Tiger in Philadelphia!
6 tracks that I’ve been spinning lately…
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Life, love, change, and the future.
11,000 tweets by @EricStoller
Life is an apprenticeship. Live it up. Be courageous. Be patient. Listen, laugh, and lead. Love and be loved. Take a leap with me. Game on.
Eric Stoller
EricStoller
I wrote my 11,000th tweet today on Twitter. My affinity for Twitter hasn’t always existed. However, I can say without hesitation that Twitter has provided me with a platform for creating connections and developing relationships that I engage with on a daily basis. It’s one of my favorite communication spaces. I’ve used Twitter to create, generate, and foster both professional and personal relationships. I am consistently astounded and impressed with its versatility.
When you don’t have all the answers
A friend and I were talking about being vulnerable. How it is okay to be vulnerable even when we have very public personas and that sometimes we have to admit that things can be difficult. Today, with 16 days left at OSU, I had an academic advising appointment that really shook my soul.
Student Affairs Professionals, Search, and Personal Branding
I was interviewing a potential candidate for the Oregon State University College Student Services Administration program when she asked for my business card. Unfortunately, I had not brought any with me. I found myself saying what has become an inside joke amongst my friends: “Just Google my name.” Trust me, it sounded a little ridiculous when I said it. However, I think it brought up a valuable topic/question for student affairs professionals: Are you searchable and how does it relate to your personal brand?
We’re all aware that people like to Google each other. Prospective employers, current employers, colleagues, friends, family members…any member of our professional/personal network can search for our name. I’m often asked how I was able to get my name, and the sites that I either run or belong to, into the top 10 search results page for the top 3 search engines: Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
The answer is relatively simple: consistency, reach, and connections.
