If you are a first-generation college student — or will be soon — your world is about to expand in a number of ways. According to the Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development, approximately 50 percent of today’s college students are in proud, but uncharted, territory as the first in their family to attend a four-year college or university. Whether you’re getting ready to attend school on campus or online, it’s a big deal.

As a high school or college student, you may have been connected to AISES in any number of ways. Now, as a working professional, you may find it harder to keep those ties with the organization. One simple way to make sure you stay connected and involved — and support the AISES mission — is volunteering. There are many great ways to volunteer with AISES as a working professional. Here are just a few.

You did it! You made it to college and are ready to start making the most of everything your campus has to offer. As a Native student, your identity is part of who you are, and something you want to celebrate and explore with other likeminded students. One way to do that is to join or start an AISES College Chapter. Here’s how to start a chapter at your school.

The countdown is on. It’s almost time for the AISES National Conference, an annual highlight for thousands of Indigenous professionals throughout North America and beyond. The conference will be making its virtual debut on a 100 percent online platform, giving participants new ways to make the most of three action-packed days. This year’s all-virtual format will include opening and closing ceremonies, a keynote address, a talking circle, expert-led topical sessions, research presentations, mixers, and Indian Country’s largest College and Career Fair. 

The AISES National Conference is known for breaking new ground every year, and 2020 will be no exception. This year’s event is 100 percent virtual and has the potential to bring together more STEM participants than ever before. 

Whew! You’ve just finished another interview, and you’re hoping to hear back soon. You constantly check your email and phone, but nothing comes through. As the days go by and you don’t hear anything, you wonder what your status is. You contact the company. If you’re lucky, you hear back right away. If not, you’re just left wondering. So what can you do when you aren’t hearing back from prospective employers? 

If you’re like most students, you’re not exactly looking forward to the high stakes college application process. How do you write the perfect essay? How do you share with reviewers everything you want them to know about you? Will sharing your Native heritage help make your application stand out? Here are some tips for telling your Native story on a college application.

We’ve all heard it: workplace feedback, constructive or otherwise. Sometimes we’re expecting it, and sometimes we’re not. Whatever the circumstances, receiving criticism — or praise, for that matter — is a significant skill that can almost always be improved by applying some thought and practice. With companies and organizations spending millions every year on employee engagement programs — and workplace engagement levels at a record high in the United States — feedback conversations are in your work life to stay.

If you’re a college graduate — or soon will be — there are reasons to consider earning an advanced degree. While it’s not the path for everyone, for career-minded students who are deciding to enter postgraduate programs, certain facts are persuasive. Indeed, the number of graduate students in the United States has tripled since the 1970s. According to a CareerBuilder survey of employers, 33 percent are hiring candidates with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by professionals with four-year degrees.

A vital facet of the AISES network is its growing number of AISES Professional Chapters. These affiliate organizations offer support and opportunities to members nationwide as they navigate their career paths. The chapters’ ongoing activities and contributions at the local level are the grass-roots foundation of the AISES mission. From serving as role models to helping their communities and organizing professional development events, AISES Professional Chapter members are leading advocates for the advancement of Native students and professionals.