Member Spotlight: Danny Pape

Danny is the Associate Director of Employer Development where he develops new relationships with organizations to recruit at The University of Tennessee and manages relationships for those already recruiting on campus. Previously, Danny served as the Haslam College of Business consultant in the office working with both business students and the employers that hired those students. He has over five years of experience in the field and at The University of Tennessee. Danny is also a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Southern Association of College and Employers (SoACE) and the Tennessee Association of Colleges and Employers (TACE) professional associations.

How did you get into the Career Services profession?

I got into the profession out of complete happenstance like most of us in higher education. I received my finance degree from Missouri State University and never changed my major nor visited the career center. I did take a job search class given by the career center my senior year but only did that to get one extra hour of credit. I was very engaged in my Greek fraternity through college and that led me to being mentored by the Greek life advisor and working in her office. Senior year of college as I was interviewing for financial advisor roles I knew I wanted something different for my career. My mentor advised me to look into higher education administration master’s programs and I was set off on a mission. I ended up going to an interview weekend at The University of Kansas and my goal was to get the Greek Life graduate assistant position based off of my backgrounds and experiences. After a full day of interviews my last interview was with the University Career Center and I walked out of that interview knowing that’s where I wanted to be. It was the people I would get to work with that truly sold me on the experience. Once the career work started I have never looked back. I’m lucky I have gotten to work with the people I have in my career so far and owe a lot to a lot of people.

Describe your SoACE Experience. How did you get involved and how has that experience influenced you?

SoACE has just been an amazing organization to get involved with. I actually attended a conference as a graduate assistant and was exposed from early on. Early in my career I got more involved with my state association TACE planning the annual conference. I utilized that experience to springboard me to a few roles within SoACE. Also, I would be remiss in saying that a colleague whom we all know very well (Mary Mahoney) connected me to some opportunities within the organization. I started by participating on the SoACE State Association/Consortia Committee which was a natural progression from my state association experience. After doing that for a year I got asked to be the co-chair for Sponsorships & Exhibitors for the annual conference and now I am serving as the Chair in that same role. The SoACE work I have done has been enjoyable but what makes it truly impactful are the people you get to work with and meet. It gives me perspective on what we are really doing in the industry and the impact we make for our students.

What advice do you have for new professionals who aspire to get more involved in the profession?The best piece of advice I received really early on in my career is to be strategic in how you get involved in professional associations. This person said no job or experience will give you all the skills needed to get to your ultimate goal(s) in your career. Utilize professional associations to obtain those skills you are not receiving in your job and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself to move forward. For me, in my first role at The University of Tennessee I was not doing a lot of event planning which is why I decided to plan the TACE and SoACE conferences as my way of getting involved. I go back to an answer I gave above though in that the work is truly rewarding but the people make it all worth it! It’s smart to be strategic but it’s also smart just to connect with others and find meaning within the group.

What are some of your hobbies when not working?

Some of my hobbies when not working include running, traveling, and being with my little family (wife, daughter, and two dogs!). We love to go on weekend trips near Knoxville and some of our favorite spots have included Asheville, Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, and going to the beach!

What’s one celebrity you would love to have lunch with and why?

One celebrity I would love to have lunch with is Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and successful entrepreneur. I’ve never been much of a risk taker in how I live my life and I find entrepreneurs truly inspiring in the risks they take. I think we can learn a lot from people’s stories and journeys in the work we do with students. Also, Mark talks a lot about how ‘following your passion’ is not great advice and it’s more important to jump in and take action and to ‘follow your effort.’ I’ve come to truly appreciate that mindset and try to instill that in how I make decisions and take risks in my life. We have to be good models for our students/clients!

What is your favorite quote?

One of my favorite quotes is from Steve Prefontaine who was an Olympic runner. He said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” I believe in putting my best foot forward regardless of the responsibility or roles I find myself in and try to motivate others to do the same. I believe you can’t teach effort and it’s something we can all do to make ourselves and team better.