Development Assistant, Minnesota Orchestra Association

Sara Keller
Major(s): Women's Studies
Current Job Title: Development Assistant
Organization: Minnesota Orchestra Association

Brief description of your job:
Acknowledging gifts, donor recognition, and administration of donor benefits

Other job titles you have held:
Individual Giving Intern, Manhattan Theatre Club

How have you found these positions?
The MOA job I found on the Springboard for the Arts Online Job Book. The MTC internship program I found on MTC's website.

What skills from your degree do you use in your current work?
Being a liberal arts graduate, I use a wide variety of skills from my degree, including critical thinking, multi-tasking and communication skills. I also use the people skills I honed at the U (being the large, bureaucratic institution that it is).

What advice do you have for current students?
I have found the transition from college to the "real world" very tough and quite unsavory. I urge current college students to really think about their values and what "work," "job," and "career" (and "money") mean to them. There is more to the world than 9-5 office work. I also urge students to intern, full-time if at all possible, not only to explore various careers and to build a network, but also to get a sense for what it feels like to sit for 8 hours every day. Lastly, I would advise students to think creatively and "outside the box" about potential jobs/careers. Take advantage of books such as "Careers for...and other Types," "Do What You Are," and "Make A Living While Making a Difference."