By Lauren Kazemekas ’24Amidst the pandemic, first-year college students like myself have found it difficult to start networking virtually and find company sponsored professional development opportunities that they are eligible for. But over Winter Break I discovered many ways to start developing my own career path. Through FoxQuest I stumbled upon The Hartford’s 2021 Virtual Freshman Experience Program, an event for “ambitious college freshmen looking to get a leg up on the competition”. The Hartford is a large investment company that provides insurance coverage to businesses and individuals. It’s based in Hartford, Connecticut, near my hometown. The organization typically has many job openings in departments like law, information technology, marketing and communications, financial services, and computer science for example. After applying for the program in FoxQuest with my resume and cover letter I was accepted and attended a virtual event on January 13, 2021. I found the program to be extremely rewarding and inspiring. First, the speakers from the University Relations team at The Hartford provided an overview of the company. I was able to learn the importance of the insurance industry and get insight into The Hartford’s role in our society. I had the chance to learn more about how the company operates both internally and externally, which was very beneficial. One aspect I took away from the event was that it’s important that your employer’s values line up with your own. The speakers introduced us to their own personal values and how those matched The Hartford’s. For example, collaboration, communication, and giving back to the community were core values that the company exemplified and became the main reasons why the speakers love working there. The presenters also discussed The Hartford’s corporate sustainability and employee volunteers initiative. Another significant part of the program was learning about personal branding. The speakers introduced necessary job application materials, but also told us how we could diversify ourselves from other applicants. I learned how crucial it is to make yourself a memorable candidate from the minute you apply to during your interview and in your follow up. For instance, it is very important to ask your interviewer questions, give concrete examples of how you put your skills into practice instead of only listing accomplishments that are on your resume, and write a thank you email to your interviewer. The University Relations team at The Hartford gave students badges like these to post on their social media profiles after the event. The badges represented things students took away from participating in the company’s Freshman Experience Program. (Courtesy of The Hartford)
What made the program so special though, was the enthusiasm and interactivity that the speakers demonstrated throughout the entire time on WebEx. As soon as the program started, they used polls to engage the audience of students. We were separated into breakout rooms and I was able to collaborate with students from other colleges and universities. Our task was to find images that represent The Hartford and its values. Our search turned into a contest judged by the speakers when each group presented their findings. Additionally, The Hartford employees encouraged us to ask questions and even used humor at times during the program to make the students feel comfortable. I was able to connect with college students from across the country on Zoom. Students from more than 40 different colleges and universities attended the program and I had the chance to talk with them and connect with them on LinkedIn. The speakers also released the hashtag #FreshmanExperience2021 to encourage further online discussions. After the event ended I connected with the speakers on LinkedIn and even received badges to show my completion of the program. The Hartford’s Freshmen Experience Program was very inspiring and informative, opening up possibilities for me even in a virtual setting. I would highly recommend that students get involved and apply for programs like these.
0 Comments
|
AuthorInformation on the latest professional development trends and advice, plugs for Marist College Center for Career Services events and initiatives, and stories from your Marist peers. Content is produced by Marist students for Marist students. Categories |