Muriel Shorting, Post-Secondary Counsellor Manitoba, Indian Education Association Inc.
Career Mentor – Muriel Shorting
25 successful years, 25 career mentors
Muriel Shorting [BHEc/09, ExtEd/11] is one of 700+ Career Mentor volunteers who devote time to meeting University of Manitoba students. Each year, career mentors share their knowledge and advice to guide the career plans and contribute to the success of students. In celebration of 25 successful years, 25 career mentors have agreed to share their career stories and advice…
Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?
As the post-secondary counsellor with Manitoba Indian Education Association I provide intensive educational support to First Nations sponsored students who move to Winnipeg to obtain a post-secondary education. The most rewarding part of my job is the personal and academic counselling that I provide to our sponsored students. The greatest challenges within the counselling profession is the ability to build a trusting and supportive environment with students.
While you were completing your degree, what experiences and activities helped you succeed in your occupation?
While I was completing my human ecology degree what helped me to succeed in my occupation is the invaluable information that I learned about the micro and macro environment in which we live in. As a counselling professional, it is easy to see how we as individuals are impacted and influenced by others, our families and the greater environment. This education that received during my degree has made me more cognizant, as a counsellor, of our ever changing relationship with our world.
Describe your career planning journey. Please include any highlights, bumps or roadblocks.
As a post-secondary counsellor I didn’t always know what I wanted to be. But I did know that I absolutely love education and seeing our First Nations sponsored students succeed in their educational journeys. I built on what I knew and the U of M was there to help me succeed in achieving my educational goals.
What inspired you to be a career mentor?
I was inspired to be a career mentor because as an undergraduate student I utilized Career Services at the U of M. I remember meeting with my career mentor and how informative he was and how he took the time out of his busy schedule to meet with me. I knew that I wanted to help other U of M students succeed if they wanted to choose counselling as a career choice.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in following in your footsteps?
The advice that I would give students that wish to follow in my footsteps is that you have to love what you are doing. For myself, this is counselling, I absolutely love listening to the narratives our students share with me. It is the stories, I think, that make me love this type of work – it doesn’t seem like work when you love what you are doing!
What career advice do you have for university students?
The best career advice that I would give students is to talk to others in the career you wish to pursue. Doing your research is invaluable and find what you are most passionate about. This will bring you much success.
Stay tuned for more career mentor profiles! From September 25 to November 2 the Career Mentor Program will be profiling 25 dedicated and wonderful mentors from across several sectors. To view more Career Mentor profiles and learn about the anniversary event on November 2, 2015, please visit the CMP 25th Anniversary website.