With commencement looming on the horizon, many second-semester seniors have found themselves stressing over their immediate futures. From work to grad school to time off, options abound. To help students make these often difficult decisions, Career Services has hosted numerous activities over the past few months geared especially toward seniors.
Over the past few months, the staff at Career Services has offered a variety of information sessions, career panels, and resume workshops preparing students for careers in anything from advertising and the environment to engineering and working abroad. The Career Services website, careers.tufts.edu, details a full schedule of programs and services that students can take advantage of.
In an effort to help students find jobs and obtain internships in areas of interest, Career Services conducts networking nights, as well as internship and job fairs, and provides assistance with r?©sum?©s, cover letters, and interviews.
"We know that seniors are grappling with a range of career issues," Director of Career Services Jean Papalia said. For "a student who knows exactly what she wants to do, but can't find the 'right job,' we can help hone networking skills. For a senior who is overwhelmed , 'I don't know what to do,' we offer assessment tools coupled with career counseling."
Close to 70 students attended Wednesday's Finance Networking Night, where interested students had the opportunity to meet 12 Tufts alumni in the finance field. "In terms of networking, it's not like making serious contacts," senior economics major Mir Reza said after the event.
A Career Decision Making Workshop will be held on April 8. Other upcoming events include panels on careers in government, public service, investment banking, and non-profit organizations. "We vary our program format to meet the needs of all students," Papalia said. One recent event asked alumni to advise students on "finding jobs in a tough economy." Their advice? "Network, network, network."
Reza said she felt the event could have used some more seasoned panelists. "Most of the people there were entry-levels, so they didn't really have much clout in their companies," Reza said. "I'd definitely try to get alumni in senior positions so they are in better positions to help you get your foot in the door."
Sultan Chatila, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, has also used Career Services for r?©sum?© critiques, internship searches, and graduate school searches.
Chatila said the Career Services Resource Library in Dowling Hall - which boasts a multi-media collection of resources for career development - set him off in the right direction. "I found a lot of helpful information. The resource center is great for people looking for a starting point," Chatila said.
The Resource Library contains periodicals and directories as well as Graduate School Rankings and videos of recent workshops.
