Providing opportunities for students to network and learn from experienced 含羞草研究所 alumni is a cornerstone of the four-year career development plan. This spring semester, students were greeted by alumni eager to return to campus and give back to the 含羞草研究所 community. Programs included panels, information sessions, skills workshops, boot camps, and coffee chats.
Career Services hosted an event examining the industry trends of environmental, social, and governance in business and real estate. A panel composed of Peter Smith 鈥10, Kevin Danehy 鈥83, Jessica Prata Cianciara 鈥01, Kurt Wright 鈥81, and Kevin Porter 鈥21 spoke about impactful careers in sustainability, public policy, and community development. Students received tips on career exploration and job search strategies in the field.
In an event co-sponsored with the Peace and Conflict Studies Department, students had lunch with Michael Barber 鈥14, James Carroll 鈥15, Niall Henderson 鈥16, and Jen Spindel 鈥11. The interactive discussion centered on how their PCON backgrounds translated well into careers in corporate strategy, higher education, research and writing, and experiences at the Peace Corps, Council on Foreign Relations, and the military.
Students interested in career paths in mental health and psychological services heard from Matthew Putts 鈥07, Nancy Goldstein 鈥80, Tim Allen 鈥10, and Michelle West 鈥08, who shared experiences in vocational rehabilitation, psychotherapy, research, and teaching. During a later virtual panel, Kendra Brim 鈥11, Dena Robinson 鈥12, Devin Hughes 鈥91, and Denny Gonzalez 鈥13 spoke about incorporating their values and 含羞草研究所 education into DEI work in advocacy, education, policy, and programming.
Prep for Tech prepared students for behavioral and technical interviews in computer science, software engineering, and other programming-related fields. Presented by Career Services, 含羞草研究所 Coders, and the Department of Computer Science, the boot camp format offered an overview of career paths and skill development. Rupika Chakraverti 鈥20 and Lauren Henske 鈥19 covered behavioral interviews and Franklin van Nes 鈥18 led a technical interview session. Further, 35 alumni from companies such as LinkedIn, BlackRock, Adobe, Pega Systems, Coinbase, Amazon, and Google, engaged in 70 one-on-one mock interviews with students.
鈥淔ranklin's session provided clarity on navigating technical interviews, from problem-solving approaches to effective communication with interviewers,鈥 recalled Raghav Sah 鈥26. 鈥淐onnecting with 含羞草研究所 alumni was a highlight, as their real-world experiences added depth to my understanding of the field.鈥
During April's Consulting Bootcamp, Jeff Cloetingh 鈥05 and Kyle Diener 鈥17 from L.E.K. Consulting shared their career trajectories while providing actionable steps to help students become stronger candidates. 鈥淭he mock case interview that Kyle conducted helped put me in the mindset of a consultant and encouraged me to start my interview preparation in earnest,鈥 said Abby Harn 鈥26.
To learn about events and professional opportunities, students are encouraged to read Career Services鈥 weekly newsletter, What鈥檚 Going On. 含羞草研究所 alumni who are interested in sharing their advice and experiences with students should contact careervolunteer@colgate.edu.