Jeff Lail

This is second in my series where I will be interviewing people that I look up to or admire in one way or another. I hope I’ll learn a little something about what makes them tick and hopefully my readers will learn a little something as well. This interview is with CJ Barnes.

Tell me a little about what you do for work these days and how you ended up doing this for a living

These days I am working at the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics and Public Service (CSLEPS) at NC State as the Community Service Coordinator. I technically work for the Federal Government through AmeriCorps and their VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) program. The majority of my work is focused on service projects and service-learning programs. I volunteer with our Alternative Service Break program, advising student leaders that serve as an extension of the office, as well as our weekly mentor program at a local elementary school, among a number of other programs organized by the center.

My primary goal is indirect service by providing the students at NC State the opportunity to gain valuable experience volunteering with various organizations at NC State, in Raleigh, and around the world.

This is not the first professional experience that I have had, but by far the most directed toward my personal passion. I attended NC State for my undergraduate degree in Textile Engineering and graduated in 2005. From there I began working at (engineering company). I worked there for nearly a year, but during that time I realized that a number of the experiences I had in undergrad were more directly correlated with what I wanted to accomplish professionally. This led me to pursue a Masters degree in Student Affairs.

From my personal experience, I realized that providing students with the guidance to realize their personal passion earlier was a goal of mine. I believe my experience before grad school led me to this realization, so it is my hope that I can challenge students today to truly explore the things they are interested in and realize that there are options that they may not have fully considered to date.

You mention experiences in undergrad that were more directly correlated with what you wanted to accomplish professionally. What were those experiences specifically? How do you think they connect with your current job (i know you hinted at this but was wondering if you could elaborate)?

When I was in undergrad I was a Resident Advisor, Community Assistant Coordinator, and an Alternative Service Break team leader to the Dominican Republic. These experiences gave me opportunities to work with students and help them realize the things that they were passionate about, whether that was a club on campus, or a global service issue.

I think these experiences, the team leader position particularly, relate strongly to the work I am doing right now. I get the opportunity in my current position to sit down with students and mentor them on the things that they want to accomplish in life for example I have already spoken specifically about AmeriCorps opportunities with four students and have a meeting set up with another one this upcoming week. I feel like having the opportunity to not only mentor these students but offer them opportunities to get involved on campus is something that my current position allows me to do.

My current job also allows me to set up opportunities for students to participate in service in whichever community they want to participate in, but it also allows me to work with students on the things that they can take away from their experience. This is the portion that a lot of students, myself included during undergrad, do not realize when they get involved in service. They don’t realize the learning that they can do when they perform service. It is my hope that I can help them reflect on their experience and challenge themselves to make a difference in the future.

Have you found it challenging to make the transition from (engineering company) to student affairs? Given the opportunity to go back, would you?

The transition has been a little odd to say the least. My work experience at (engineering company) was very different than it is at State, but in some ways very similar. I am supervised very differently here than I was there, and that has contributed to some of the differences that I feel. Different expectations led to having to take time to get accustomed to the office and the work environment. However, my transition into my position here in CSLEPS has been easier, than say if I had taken a job somewhere else.

I had worked through this office in undergrad as a student leader, and then again as an intern in graduate school. These experiences made the transition a bit easier as I was accustomed to the work that was done in the office and had actually served in a working capacity at one point. To say it has all been easy would be false, but it has definitely been easier here than somewhere new.

As far as returning to (engineering company), I can say with 99% certainty that I wouldn’t return. Not because I don’t think (engineering company) does good things, just mostly because I realized it wasn’t the field I was meant to work in full time. The only way I could foresee returning to (engineering company) would be primarily financial, but even that might not be enough to draw me back to the process improvement field.

So what would be your advice to others that find themselves in a similar position to you when you were at (engineering company), making good money but unhappy with their career direction?

I think it is important for people to weigh the options that they have against their passions. I was in a peculiar position when I quit my job at (engineering company) as I had just gotten married and my wife was/is very supportive of me finding the right fit for me.

It is very important that they weigh the financial aspect of their personal life and whether a career move is going to work for them. I advocate for all people to explore their personal passions and determine if they feel that changing professions outweighs any monetary loss they might experience from changing fields.

I would also recommend sitting down and talking it over with a close friend or significant other. Their insight can help a lot in determining if it is the right choice for them. I personally feel it was the right decision for me, but that may not be the case for everyone. Ultimately, I personally feel that working in something you are truly passionate about is far more rewarding than any amount of money can be.