Build a Better You

The following parable has been shared across continents and within various cultures for hundreds of years. Like all good stories its lessons hold true today.

A young man was hired to cut down trees. The first day he cut down 7 trees in 8 hours, the second day he cut down 5 trees in 8 hours, the third day he cut down only 3 trees in 8 hours, and on the fourth day he only cut down 1 tree in 8 hours! He went to his boss and said, “I don’t understand why my performance is so poor, do you?” His boss asked one simple question, “Did you sharpen your axe?”

So what does this mean for you?

You are here to learn, to study, to create, to build, to perform, to produce – to change the world, to change others, to change the way people think, to improve lives, to discover new ways to do things, etc. Your impact has a ripple effect among peers, scholars, students, employers and communities. You are also here to BUILD A BETTER YOU.

One of the resources that I invite you to access is the Center for Career Development. When you consistently sharpen your career IQ and have your job application documents up-to-date, you will be building a better you to share with the world and with future employers. If you wait and connect with us only at the moment when you need us, you will likely be in the throes of writing a CV or résumé that you needed 24 hours ago, or panicked about an upcoming interview that you could have prepared for in advance. Build a better you by making time, throughout your academic experience, to utilize resources designed to support you in your desire for success beyond UConn.

By Kay Kimball Gruder
Kay Kimball Gruder Associate Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Career Programs and Services | Pronouns: she/her/hers