For the next four days, and then for another four days in the middle of June, Marist College will be welcoming hundreds of incoming students and their families for New Student Orientation. We congratulate all new students for being selected to attend Marist and look forward to supporting them throughout their rich academic experience in the Hudson Valley.
We encourage all students to visit the Center for Career Services early and often in their collegiate endeavors. Our career coaches have developed a four-year plan for each Marist student to guide them throughout the career planning process. We hope that following this checklist will also help students identify their career path and apply their education at Marist College as they prepare to enter an evolving workforce. Here is the checklist we have developed for first-year students:
Kick off the day by stopping by our table at the Information Fair, where you can receive a copy of the full four-year plan. Representatives from our office will be on hand at the Information Fair to address any questions or concerns. Safe travels.
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At this point of the year you have probably seen the graduation countdown clocks around campus quickly get down to single digits. Or maybe you have noticed the graduation countdown clocks lately, but convinced yourself you haven’t seen them because you’re still in denial and are suffering from extreme chronophobia, or fear of the future.
While there may be only a couple sleeps left until Commencement, there are many positive aspects of graduating college and starting a new chapter of your life. Even if you are venturing into uncertainty. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2018 Job Outlook Survey, employers plan to hire four percent more new graduates from the Class of 2018 than they did from the Class of 2017. NACE compares individual hiring practices each recruiting year. In 2017-18, NACE found that 43.7 percent of their responding organizations plan to increase their hires from a year ago. That figure increased by 7.4 percent from the previous recruiting year. Note in the survey that for the first time since 2015, the percentage of employers looking to cut their number of hires has dipped below 10 percent. So enjoy your last few days at Marist. Take advantage of having most of your friends within a mile or two radius. And remember that just because you may not have a job, internship, or your next move lined up immediately after you receive your diploma doesn’t mean that will be your situation forever. Nor does your uncertainty indicate that you are an invaluable asset to the workforce or your chosen field. Keep your eyes, ears and mind open to new opportunities that you may not even know exist yet. Career coaches in the Marist College Center for Career Services will be available all summer for phone and in-person appointments, so schedule one on FoxQuest any time you need assistance. If you do decide to come see a career coach in person, you can look at the countdown clock on the back wall of Library 332 with ease, knowing that it has been reset to more than 300 days until the next Marist cohort officially makes the same transition you are now completing. “Somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond any experience.” E.E. Cummings provided solace during my chaotic first week of freshman year at Marist College. Everyone around me seemed like they knew what they were doing while I, as the adage goes, ran around like a chicken without a head. It was daunting, it was apprehensive, but it was real. It was the start of a new experience; a new life that I now realize has changed me permanently.
A big part of my Marist experience was working at the Center for Career Services. During my sophomore year I received an email from Career Services stating a social media internship position was open. Truthfully, I applied on a whim. It was the week before Spring Break and I was unmotivated to even leave my dorm room. But I knew I wanted industry experience and to grow as a professional eager to enter the communications industry after graduation. So while watching Season 2 of The Sopranos, I applied to the posting and, to my surprise, was offered an interview. I spoke with Deidre Sepp, a former career specialist in the office, to learn about the position and the center’s hopes to grow its social media presence while trying my hardest to impress her. I guess whatever I did worked. My first day in Career Services began after an uneventful spring break in my hometown of Rockland County, New York. Again, I entered like a headless chicken; apprehensive and anxious, not knowing what to expect. Luckily I was working with another sophomore, Matt Onorato, who is probably one of the nicest people I know. Looking back, I laugh at the fact that I was so nervous initially because the people who work in Career Services couldn’t be any nicer. They are empathetic, kind, dedicated to their students, and have been invested in my personal and professional growth during every step of my journey. The staff’s attitude made it easy to come into work each week. When I started working in the office, the social media for the Center for Career Services was pretty much nonexistent. For this reason I was excited to develop social media strategies, conduct research, and help this tremendously kind office that gave me such a wonderful opportunity. Flash forward to the end of finals week: classes have ended, and my time at Career Services is officially over. It still feels weird to say that. Fortunately, I’ve watched Career Services accomplish all its goals and more since I arrived, and everyone is humble and hungry enough to continue this upward trajectory. What we offered students when I started more than two years ago versus what we offer now is incredible to compare. We are active on a bunch of digital platforms, hold more events on and off campus, and have expanded our offerings, including Walk-In Hours. But beyond that, I have developed relationships with great people. People who have assured me that I would find a job or internship when I was panicking. People who have helped me decide which places and positions to apply to. People who have provided interview tips and guidance. People who celebrate and thank their student workers daily for their contributions. I don’t know how I got so lucky. Right now I’m holding back tears in the library because I truly am going to miss Marist. My advice for current and future students is to seize every opportunity here. I went abroad to Florence and worked at the Center for Career Services during my time as an undergraduate. Despite the obvious differences between the two experiences, both opportunities make me proud of the person I have become. Sadly, I must go and travel to yet another experience. One that is unknown. But uncertainty, as I lived it here, is exciting. Summer is a prime time to work as an intern. Internships help you gain industry experience and spice up your resume. And summer internships typically are not completed alongside other courses or extra-curricular commitments that arise at other points of the year. Competition for summer internships can be fierce, and most organizations are often looking for rising juniors, seniors, or even college graduates.
Fear not though, underclassmen. Even if you have not secured an internship this summer or find that you are not eligible for one, there are efforts you can make to fill any potential gaps in your resume. 1) Work Part Time Part-time positions will help you develop transferable skills and experience ranging from customer service to adaptability and everything in between. Opportunities as a retail sales associate, camp counselor, server, and lots of other areas exist. During previous summers I worked as a hostess and learned how to juggle a bit of everything under pressure. The skills I acquired through this part-time work experience helped me stay afloat at my internships and through all of my co-curricular activities on campus. 2) Shadow Someone in Your Desired Industry Reach out to anyone in your network working in the field you want to enter. Ask if you can shadow them or simply schedule a time to meet for coffee for an informational interview. Shadowing can help you understand the ins and outs of a workplace while building your network and professional relationships to return to later on. And hey, who knows? A shadow experience may lead to an internship in the future. 3) Volunteer When you give back to your community, you give back to yourself as well. You become a better person, help society at large, and develop skills that are invaluable to your professional and personal growth. On campus I was involved with Food Recovery Network, while over the summers in high school I volunteered at my community’s soup kitchen. So, give back---on a local level, or wherever you want. Make an impact by helping others in an area of their life this summer. 4) Build a Portfolio Create a stellar website, blog or any other form of electronic portfolio that showcases your best work. In my major, communications, for example, students in all classes have websites to show off their creative work. That way, when they apply for jobs and internships down the line, they can send employers a link to the work samples they are most proud of. An organized portfolio will make you stand out as a job applicant. It’s OK to not have an internship this summer. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You have much to accomplish in these next few months. You got this! |
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