As you may have recently heard, Maria McGinnis, the Employer Relations & Career Advisor here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was recently recognized as a finalist for being the Ag. Woman of the Year. I thought I should sit down with her and ask her some questions about herself and her path to agriculture.
Q: What do you feel is the biggest problem facing agriculture today?
A: I think the biggest problem facing agriculture today is that consumers do not have a clear concept of where their food comes from, how it is produced, and why it produced in the way it is.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing you face when working at CALS Career Services?
A: Helping students discover what they want to do. Helping them make a difference in their industry and in their world. Helping them negotiate job offers. Knowing that I had a role in a student’s career success. Whether that is getting into medical school, getting an internship or job, or something as simple as creating a really good resume.
Q: Who did you aspire to when you were in college?
A: I didn’t have a specific role model, but I remember sitting in my advisors office when I was in college. A lot of people I knew, knew what they wanted to do. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something that could make a tangible difference in someones life.
Q: What do you feel is the message you try to give your students every day?
A: I try to give students realistic information and tools that they can put into practive immediately. Having a tangible series of steps is helpful to students, and the difference is that I feel I can help give students certain steps to success. If they use those steps I am fairly confident they will make it in the real world.
Q: What does your typical daily schedule look like?
A: There is no typical day. Usually it is meeting with students, coresponding with employers, creating events, working with student organizations, prospective students, WALSAA, and big picture visioning for CALS Career Services. Dealing with the almost 900 email in my inbox is my main goal right now.
Q: What are some new things you have helped to create to help students?
A: We are always looking for opportunities that give a new twist on certain events. Last year we created the industry panel that gave a place where students could interact with employers and the students could ask questions about what the employers are looking for. This year we are creating an opportunity fair designed to be conference style that is not a career fair, but an opportunity to go to mock interviews, resume reviews, non-profit organizations, companies, professional programs, and basically an opportunity to get answers.
Q: You mention this in your video, but can you explain “AgFabulous” for me?
A: So AgFabulous is kind of a word I came up with and it was really funny at first, and then I thought about it and it came to be about a lifestyle. Being motivated and fashionable in agricutlrue. Being AgFabuous. Its kind of along the lines that for girls there has been a stereotype that you have to choose between agriculture and choosing between stereotypical girl things. AgFabulous is a mind set that you can be interested in anything you want to be, including Agricuture.
Q: How has your involvement in other organizations shaped your view of agriculture?
A: Organizations like NAMA and Farm Bureau have shown me that Agricuture is a dynamic and diverse industry. It is so multi-faceted. NAMA especially has shown me the business side behind different areas of agricultuure and that all areas have a market and are important to agriculture.
Q: What is your main goal when you come in to work every day?
A: My main goal is to know that I gave 100%. There are some days that are more productive, but just knowing that whatever I did that day was to the best of my abilities and better than anybody else could do.
Maria McGinnis is a true treasure to our industry and especially here at CALS Career Services in UW-Madison. So if you would like to vote for her feel free to at: http://www.agconnect.com/About/General/Awards/Submissions.asp?AC=4&S=72.
Post here any comments about Maria or feel free to ask her questions and I will be happy to get them answered.
Maria also wanted me to put a disclaimer telling you that this was not her idea.
