The Tufts Career Center will host the Tufts Virtual Creative Careers Trek on Friday, Oct. 16. The program, now a few years old (and renamed from the NYC Arts and Entertainment Trek), gives Tufts undergraduate students the opportunity to engage and connect with professionals in a variety of arts, media and entertainment careers.
In the past, that manifested into a jam-packed day trip to New York City. Of course, it goes without saying that this year’s programming will be entirely virtual. But according to Ryan Smith, assistant director of the Career Center and career advisor for the arts, that has opened many doors for new and exciting programs.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for more students to engage with more alums and employers nationally, and possibly even internationally,” Smith said, detailing that the program will run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a makers’ panel and smaller events following.
The panel will featureVictor Quiñonez, a School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) alum and co-founder and creative director of Street Theory, Ken Diaz, another SMFA alum and product specialist at Formlabs, Lisa Granshaw, a Tufts alumna and associate editor for Backstage magazine, Greg Gorman, the senior managing photo art director for LL Bean, Chika Offurum, the director of audience development for “American Experience” on WGBH and Roman Molino Dunn, a music composer for film, television commercials and producers at Mirrortone Studios.
The panel offers a wide variety of creatives from interesting backgrounds and fresh perspectives. “This panel is to talk about how we’re being creative and why it’s important now,” Smith explained. It is a new addition to the program and allows Tufts students to learn more about their career paths and meet professionals.
The panel is also a way to remind students that despite COVID-19, careers still exist and will continue to. “A lot of students are thinking about the arts and seeing what they think are shortages in production in the entertainment sector," he said. "They’re kind of second-guessing if there’s a need to be creative and artistic.”
Smith sees this panel as a way to remind students of just how important artistic and creative work is, especially now more than ever. “We all have the opportunity to use our creativity to get out there and make messages and keep people thinking and engaged.”
After the makers’ panel, a speed networking event will follow from 1–2:30 p.m., which will include both employers and alumni. Those conversations are more focused on, as Smith explained, “how to engage and network with professionals who are doing the type of work that students want to do.” The speed networking event is the most similar to previous Trek in-person programming.
Whereas previous years had limited attendance and requirements to apply for the Trek, this year’s programming is more inclusive. “It’s open to undergraduates, graduate students and Class of 2020 graduates, from any major, they just have to be interested in a career in arts, communications or media entertainment.” This makes the program more engaging for students who have varied and interdisciplinary interests.
The difference in format didn’t just come out of necessity, but rather a desire to provide Tufts students with unique opportunities to connect with arts and entertainment industries. “The Trek is always on my radar because I am continually working to build more relationships with alums in the creative sector so that students have more opportunities,” Smith explained.
After last semester’s shutdown, Smith and the Career Center immediately began thinking about connecting with employers and making sure programs like the Trek worked. The result is an accessible opportunity for students to connect with professionals, regardless of whether students are near Tufts’ campus or attending the semester remotely. And while Smith acknowledges the desire for in-person networking, virtual isn’t so bad right now. “Nothing replaces that in-person connection that we all miss, but this is definitely a next-best alternative.”
Students can sign up for the Tufts Virtual Creative Careers Trek on Handshake.
