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Bethany Ferrall is the Assistant Director of Career Development at Texas A&M University-Commerce. She spends the bulk of her time managing Handshake and working with employers who hire Lions. This includes, but is definitely not limited to, planning all annual on-campus recruiting events and overseeing the training and development of four college-specific career coaches and the graduate/undergraduate student staff.
In 2018, Bethany also served as President of the Metroplex Area Consortium of Career Centers (MAC3) and the chair of the SoACE Employer Relations Summit. She received a MS in Higher Education administration (2017) from Texas A&M University-Commerce and a BA in Public Relations (2005) from the University of South Carolina. She lives in Sulphur Springs, Texas with her husband, Chris, and daughter, Charlotte (3).
Fun Facts: She loves attending sporting events, going to concerts, and spending time with her husband, Chris, daughter, Charlotte, and cheering on the South Carolina Gamecocks, 2017 National Champion A&M-Commerce Lions, & Oklahoma Sooners’ football teams.
How did you get into the Career Services profession?
When I graduated from the University of South Carolina, I had a great career services experience and knew it was something I wanted to do, but couldn’t get my head around using my PR degree for anything other than my passion of non-profit communications. Fast forward 6 years and I began work at a recruiting firm, then moved to Campus Recruitment. In 2013, my husband’s job transferred us to Texas and the traveling recruiter life became less and less glamorous! I decide that I would start looking for work at local colleges and try to get into Career Services. Luckily, a job as employer relations coordinator came open and two interviews later, the rest is history!
Describe your SoACE Experience. How did you get involved and how has that experience influenced you?
I got involved with SoACE after I went to my first SoACE conference in December 2014. It was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people who totally “get” what you do. I made multiple friends right off the bat and tried to find my footing of involvement right away. I really began to get involved at the end of 2016 when I met Jill Boatright in a session. She and Claire Childress were coordinating the Employer Relations Summit and I volunteered to assist with the implementation. I became the co-chair shortly after and then chair for 2018. The experience of being involved in SoACE has changed me completely. It has given me a sense of belonging, confidence, and passion that I always dreamed of in a career.
What advice do you have for new professionals who aspire to get more involved in the profession?
My advice to new professionals is three-fold:
- Don’t forget that it is a marathon, not a sprint. Sometimes it is hard to remember that the career seeds we plant for students as freshman don’t blossom until their senior year or, sometimes, even after. We make a difference in student’s lives daily and if we remember that in every task we do, it makes the difficult times fewer and farther between.
- Get involved and find your “people”! The thing that changed SoACE for me was finding people who do what I do, both new to the profession and seasoned professionals. I love being able to learn new things, implement change on my campus, and have a professional sounding board of colleagues across the country. Engage in the webinars, attend the tweet chats, and join a knowledge group. Your experience will be exponentially improved if you make the most of your connections and build your network.
- Keep learning and be open to change. Attending professional development events, whether in person or online has made the biggest impact for me professionally. I come back with a million new ideas and ways to improve our processes and that excites me. Make the most of professional development opportunities and be open to new ideas you might not have previously considered.
