Orientation Programs & Parent Services
From Student Employee to University Representative
Orientation Skills for Current & Future Career Goals
A key aspect of Orientation Program’s mission is the professional and personal development of our undergraduate student staff. Applicants take part in a comprehensive four-step selection process, after which a formal feedback & goal-setting meeting is provided to every hired staffer. Orientation student staff then complete over 100 hours of training before they begin full-time summer work as student advisors and University representatives to incoming students and their families.
Our training and job responsibilities increase confidence and provide students with hands-on experience in public speaking, academic advising, and disseminating information to diverse populations. They work successfully with individuals from a range of backgrounds and experiences, and resolve conflicts in a productive and empathetic manner. Orientation staff alumni have gone on to successful careers all over the world and on the UCSB campus. Employers frequently comment on the skills staffers acquire from working with our department and bring to their careers.
By the Numbers
I have developed more confidence in the fact that I am more dependable, more approachable, and more respectful. I plan to use these in my life by being more confident when addressing a room and leading activities. - (2022 Orientation Staffer, Exit Survey response)
I feel much stronger in my abilities to command and lead a group when we need to present important information….I’m actually utilizing a lot of the skills I picked up (such as the being able to take charge of a group) at my other job…I also feel immeasurably more confident in my abilities to connect with people on individual and group levels, and be able to provide them with better insight and guidance based on what I learn from observations and direct conversation. - (2022 Orientation Staffer, Exit Survey response)
I know I can give a solid presentation in front of a wide range of people. No matter the situation, I know I can talk to people and try to ease their worries or make them less stressed. Before [Orientation], I was hesitant to ask for help, but now I know that it doesn’t make me any less capable and it’s good to ask for help even if it is a simple clarifying question. - (2022 Orientation Staffer, Exit Survey response)