Jumbo Spotlight: Returned Peace Corps Natawnee Fritz

Interested in joining the Peace Corps after college? Natawnee Fritz A06 tells all about the application process, her volunteer experiences in Cape Verde, and the values of spending time abroad.

1. What was your major at Tufts? To what extent did Tufts and its international focus shape your decision?

I was always interested in international relations (IR) which is the reason why I chose to study at Tufts. At Tufts, I majored in IR, led Amnesty International, and studied abroad in Rome. During my second year, I took advantage of an opportunity offered by the IR department – the Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize. The prize enables the recipient(s) to undertake a research project, an internship, a volunteer activity, or a plan of study in any field involving international issues. I received a grant to volunteer in Uganda for a summer in order to work with a local NGO. There, I did HIV/AIDS education with women and youth, built houses, and led other local capacity building activities.

2. What inspired you to join the Peace Corps?

I knew that I wanted to work abroad. While the experience in Uganda was a great, I felt like I was just getting settled by the time I left. Peace Corps was attractive to me because it was two years. And with Peace Corps, I knew I would have a structured support system behind me as I volunteered. Also, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college so this seemed like a great opportunity to explore.

3. What is the Peace Corps application process like? What steps did you take to get accepted?

On average, it takes about a year to a year and half from the time one starts applying to the start of service. I was fortunate in that I began the process in the fall of my senior year and started service in the summer after graduation. The application, at least when I did it, included a long questionnaire, letters of recommendation, and an interview with a recruiter. The recruiter then decides to nominate you or not, moving your application from the local office to headquarters in Washington, D.C. Next, you go through medical and background clearances. Once, all of the clearances are approved, you are paired with a technical focus (i.e. education, community development, etc) and a country, and then sent an “invitation” to accept.

4. What advice do you have for students looking to apply to Peace Corps or similar-type programs?

Speak to other people who’ve done it. Peace Corps, and other volunteer programs, are different for each person, offering different benefits depending on who you are. Also, you don’t have to have international experience before applying. A commitment to service – which could be in your local community – or a specialized technical background can strengthen your application just as much as someone who has studied abroad.

With regard to the application, Peace Corps recruiters are really helpful. There’s a local office in Boston and the recruiters are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers themselves. Also, I would recommend you apply early. I was lucky to start so soon but I know a lot of people where the process took up to two years.

5. Can you describe your experiences? What kind of initiatives were you involved in?

I was a Community Development Volunteer with a local municipality in Cape Verde, an archipelago off the West Coast of Africa. I spent three months in training with the rest of the volunteers, learning the local language and Cape Verdean culture. Once I moved to my site, I worked without other volunteers at a local municipality.

Cape Verde is unique as a developing country because it has just passed the threshold to a middle-income country but remains that the bottom of this category. There is no extreme poverty and most of Cape Verde has electricity, even internet, and access to potable water. The question then became: how was I going to help people who are receiving an education, but aren’t receiving sufficient training to overcome key development gaps?

I decided to work with young women, mostly because it was an area in which I felt comfortable and where I felt I could make an impact. I created leadership camps for young women, bringing together female students from throughout the island I lived on. Young women typically take care of the household in Cape Verde and are often not able to experience opportunities outside of their school and home. Therefore, these camps afforded young women an opportunity to meet their peers and realize that they were not alone in their experiences. The camps featured female guest speakers, leadership and life skills activities, and education on women’s health. The camps have now been adopted by the national Ministry of Youth and implemented on several islands, among girls and boys.

6. What was your favorite part of the experience?

I don’t know if there will ever be one favorite – it always seems to change with what I’m most nostalgic about in the moment. In terms of work, I am proud of the work that I did with the young women of my community. When I think about the larger experience of living in Cape Verde for over two years, I am flooded with memories of Cape Verdean culture – the food, the music, the people, the language. Cape Verde became a second home to me by the end and I felt like those in my community were my family and friends.

7. What was the biggest challenge you faced during your experience?

Realizing that you’re human. Most Peace Corps Volunteers (and aspiring ones) are idealists, which is great. But, you are just one person and you can only affect so much. You learn during your two years to be okay with that and to appreciate the small contributions you make.

8. Any particular moment, or story, that particularly stands out to you?

I happened to be visiting another town one day and a stranger came up to me asking if I had been involved with Camp Crioula (the leadership camp). She said that her daughter had attended the camp and loved it. She wouldn’t stop talking about it and still kept in touch with friends she had made. It was a brief conversation before she was on her way but she left me standing there thinking that even if I didn’t leave Peace Corps having changed the world, I had positively impacted the life of this woman and her daughter.

9. Can you briefly describe your current field of work? How did your Peace Corps experience shape your career path?

I work in international development now, at a firm called DAI. DAI has projects in over 60 countries working in agriculture, environment, health and governance. When I left Peace Corps, I knew that I wanted to continue in the same line of work and found that opportunity with DAI. I currently work in market research where I help our company identify new projects, clients, and countries to do development work.

10. What are the values of exploring a different part of the world? What are the benefits of joining an international initiative out of college?

It always depends on the individual but I feel very fortunate to have been a part of Peace Corps after Tufts. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with an IR major but knew I wanted to be abroad and working in something I cared about. Peace Corps gave me that opportunity to explore and provided an excellent stepping stone in my career path.

Traveling and learning about other countries, cultures, and peoples doesn’t have to be done with Peace Corps or because you want to get into international development. And it isn’t just valuable when you travel someplace new. Our world is increasingly interconnected and the experience of learning about someplace or somebody different than you has tangible advantages in your daily life - whether it’s during an exchange with a stranger or working with a colleague at your next job.

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A Senior's Farewell

So, I guess it’s that time. Finals are in full-swing. We’re attempting to study, but really we’re trying to make sure we complete our bucket lists and simply enjoy ourselves before we head home. Or graduate, when it comes to us seniors. (Insert sad face here).

I thought I’d write one more blog post before I leave Tufts to say a final goodbye. “Final words” have always intimidated me, and to be honest, I don’t quite have anything particularly profound to say. I’m not sure anything really could be said. I knew senior year would whiz by extremely fast, so I’m not exactly surprised that I’m already planning my final weekends and talking commencement and graduation gowns. But truth be told, I haven’t yet been overwhelmed by the apocalyptic feeling that my carefree youth is ending. Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet and I’ll be a bawling, inconsolable mess in no time. Or maybe there’s a part of me that’s ready to move on----to explore new cities, work on real-world projects, and be refreshingly anonymous for a change.

Of course, when people ask how I feel about graduating (a.k.a. absolutely everyone), I can’t exactly answer them in a direct, sensible fashion. My answer always transforms into some senseless garble filled with ehhhs and sortas, leading my questioners to reply with vigorous affirmations about how I’m just gonna love the career world. Sure, I have visions of myself reveling in the delights of “real-life” ( largely thanks to Sex and the City), but I’m aware that it’s not one big cocktail party. When I ask graduates to compare career-life to college (praying they’ll say it’s just plain awesome), I get the same answer: it’s not better or worse, but different. No more sleeping away your 9:00 am class or showing up to your 10:30 in sweats. No more 2-hour lunches and long gaps of free time. At the same point, there’s no traditional “homework” (aside from leftover work) and weekends are blissfully free. And there’s the gratification of working toward more than a passing grade; your contributions make a real impact.

I’m lucky enough to have some sense of what life will look like next year. I’ll be working at a public affairs firm in NYC, hopefully living in a cozy apartment with a roommate from high-school. If things go according to plan, I’ll hopefully have a nice circle of friends, a decent relationship with my landlord, and some sense of how to navigate NYC subways. But even with some sort of “plan”, things still look fuzzy. I can’t picture what my life will be like until I’m in it full-swing, and even then I’ll probably be too overwhelmed by the newness of it all to fully reconcile it.

Come the sad notes of graduation music, chances are it will hit me, big time, and I’ll probably be a big huge mess when it does. Even now part of me feels obliged to run up to underclassman and beg them to appreciate it. (Preliminary words of advice: sleep late, steal all the food you can from Dewick, and snag the biggest off-campus room you can find). But given all the emotion and the trauma, we will inevitably find our niche and adjust. Even if right now the thought of becoming a real-person feels hilariously impossible. Someone once reassured me that once we get used to the fact that we’ve graduated, the real-world feels natural and plain right, as if this is what we’re “supposed” to be doing. The advice was vague, but I remember it feeling refreshing at the time, and I thought I’d pass it along.

In all my on-and-off-again panic, the most important advice I have is to be honest with yourself. We’ve had four years to explore and discover our skills and interests and goals, and now it’s time to go after them. We’re too good to abandon our idealist college ambitions simply because it comes with a challenging road. In the same vein, don’t expect it to be easy. There will be stresses and frustrations that are totally new to us, and we should be prepared to take them in stride. These are the moments that we’ll be laughing about some years down the line, when everything finally starts to make some sense.

And it will happen. I’ve had many friends promise that college wasn’t the best four years of their life, but that (gasp) it keeps getting better from here. So, fellow seniors/soon-to-be alums: let’s assume that we’re at the beginning of something great.

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My Experience With the Job Search: Report A Hire

This is the third in a series of posts about my quest to find post-graduate employment. For the previous two posts in the series, please go here and here.


The Monday before the two-week deadline, I received an email from an HR Coordinator in Washington DC, where the company is headquartered, asking me to send her a list of references. That whole day was spent sending a barrage of emails to potential references, and I was thrilled (and lucky) to receive quick and willing responses. After collecting the email addresses and phone numbers of 6 or so references (and double-checking their accuracy a zillion times), I emailed the list by the end of the day.

It was only after completing the frantic exercise of reference-collecting that I could sit back and ask: what does this all mean? I had never been asked to share references for an internship or job opportunity before (apart for the occasional academic program), and I had no idea what this signified in the vein of job-applying. Do employers reference all of the top contenders? Are references used to make decisions between candidates? Or is it the last step before an offer? Everyone seemed to have a different answer. My ever-optimistic dad was convinced it was the latter option; meanwhile, my pragmatic mom said it was a good sign, but that I shouldn’t get my hopes up quite yet. My go-to friends on Google search also had different answers (as well as incredibly entertaining stories. One especially enraged man, for instance, decided it would be a good idea to threaten every employer who didn’t offer him the job).

The week that followed was an oscillating sea-saw of emotions. I was an irritable, antsy, and sleep-deprived mess. As my references contacted me to tell me about their glowing reviews, I felt incredibly hopeful, imagining myself receiving the offer in no-time. This exuberant optimism slowly dissipated as the two-week deadline came and went. As friends, family, and Career Services reinforced, the hold-up could be anything, from a busy schedule in the HR office to a sluggish administrative process. There were also other less-than-promising possibilities: that HR was simultaneously checking other candidates. Or that they had made another offer and were waiting on the response.

By Friday, I was tired of waiting and thinking, of forming quasi-absurd scenarios in my head. I accepted that the “no-news” wasn’t exactly good-news, and that I shouldn’t count on this position. I planned to follow up with the firm on Monday and, in the meantime, urged myself to start considering other options (obviously easier said than done).

Friday afternoon, I was distracted by the series of interviews I conducted alongside Shimrit for the ambassador position. By the end, I’d half-forgotten about the unsettling piece of unheard news; that is, until I checked my phone. I saw that I had missed a call from an unknown number with a 202-area code. My heart slammed against my chest. Flushing, I grabbed my cell-phone and ran outside the offices, frantically dialing my voicemail. The voicemail was from a HR coordinator in Washington DC, asking me to call her back immediately.

I looked like a frantic, disheveled mess as I made that phone call; my fingers were uncontrollable, dialing all the wrong numbers and shaking as they managed to find the right ones. My bag and coat were sprawled in a mess right next to me, most certainly blocking the passage of the gaggles of students and tour-groups exploring Dowling. The person that picked up the phone, of course, was not the woman who had called me, and I had to admit that no, I did not remember her last name (I could not begin to process it), but can I please be put on the phone with a Michelle? I think?

That was when I was offered the position. It was shocking and thrilling and weird and mind-boggling and every single emotion at once. I wanted to shout yes, yes, yes, but she told me that I shouldn’t give her an answer yet, and that we would arrange another time to speak the following week. Then, in a well-intended explanation that felt way longer than it was, she laid out my compensation and benefits, which she promised to send via email. It all sounded fabulous, at least what I processed. When I hung up the phone, I ran in to tell the very people that, in all their support and wisdom and selfless guidance, helped make it all happen. Being at Career Services when I first heard the news felt oddly symbolic; it was if my experiences at the office felt really complete, as if everything had come full-circle.

Back at my dorm a few days later, I at last clicked the button on TuftsCareerConnect I had been so eager to press: Report a Hire. Entering basic information for the office database---including company name, address, position, and hours---made the whole job thing feel uncannily real. (I’ll be working hours per/week? And be receiving a salary?).

What I learned from this whole process? Probably too much to put into a small wrap-up paragraph. But I can say this: the ultimate thrill of snatching a job comes at a different time for everyone, but it does come. It’s so hard not to (I mean, look at me), but try not to overanalyze every missed deadline, every email wording, or every step of the process. Simply go with the flow; remain confident that you’ve put forth your best effort, and that you are a fantastic job candidate in your own right. Continue to be proactive, open-minded, and optimistic. And continue to be yourself---in every email exchange, phone call, and interview. Stay true to your skills and passions and what it is that you genuinely love to do.

Well, it’s been a lot of writing, so I guess I’ll end here. Good luck to you all---no matter what stage you’re at in the job process. And in the meantime, enjoy the remainder of this year! We have the rest of our lives to be serious real-world-people, so let’s take in the time at Tufts that we have left.

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My Experience With the Job Hunt: The Interview

This is the second in a series of posts about my quest to find post-graduate employment.  For the first post in the series, please go here.

Begin the interview scene: as I rode up the elevator and entered the spacious office—a large, open space of cubicles, glass-windowed conference rooms, and hard-wood floors---I felt slightly more at ease. The office assistant with whom I’d been communicating quickly jumped to her feet, warmly introduced herself, and led me to the firm’s conference room. Glancing over my resume, she asked me a few general questions about my interest in the firm and my past work experiences. We spent the last half of the interview catching up about Tufts, senior pub nights, and NYC-life. I’d almost forgotten the conversation was part of an interview until she said that she would fetch the Managing Director—the main player in the interview process.

This more-formal interview tensed me up a little. At the start, The Managing Director temporarily confirmed my fear of being a young, inexperienced student by just ever-so-slightly flipping the way she asked questions. With my resume in hand, she commented on what she didn’t see on the list, asking me to explain why I wanted this industry—and firm in particular—versus other types of work experiences. I tried to swerve this round-about-approach by highlighting the important skills I took away from each work experience. I reinforced the fact that these diverse opportunities were critical to pinpointing what it is I want to do full-time. By the end of our 20-minute interview, I felt her confidence in me start to grow.

The last two interviews (more like laid-back, friendly discussions) only pumped me up more, each shedding light on the incredible potential to grow and thrive within the company. The second two employees I talked to were purposefully selected based on the skills and interests I highlighted in my resume, cover letter, and initial conversations.

I spoke to a Senior Associate who heads the majority of the firm’s writing projects, including Op-ed articles, shareholder letters, speeches, and pitch letters to clients, journalists and media outlets. He said that he loved the idea of having another writer on staff. Overwhelmed as he was, I could assist him with his teeming amounts of writing projects and be a go-to editorial eye. My profuse number of head-nods and embarrassingly large grin revealed my excitement, perhaps a little too intensely.

Next, I spoke to another employee about her specific area of expertise: educational reform, an issue that has always deeply interested me. Having just returned from a national educational conference in Seattle, she had loads to say, and she feverishly spoke about her current projects, educational clients, and day-to-day routine.

From these two interviews, I realized that the assistant’s job is largely fluid, reflecting the relaxed, team-oriented culture of the entire firm. As all employers reinforced, they want to play into my personal skills and interests, to accommodate and comfort me. They treated me like more than a generic application but a unique candidate who could fit into the fabric of their firm. I left the interview feeling confident and self-assured, but even more so, I felt exhilarated. Every day at that firm would be diverse and challenging in a new way. I could really picture myself working there.

I had a mix of emotions when I received a follow-up email from the assistant; she invited me to move onto the next round (phew) by completing a 24-hour assignment that would test my ability to write and synthesize information (ah!). The test soared into my mailbox two days later, when I’d asked to complete the assignment. I prayed for the best.

I was dumbstruck at first. I anxiously scrolled through the pages upon pages of information and statistics, wondering how on earth I was going to send back a coherent press release by this time tomorrow. But then I realized how do-able it all was. The assignment presented a hypothetical announcement about a new mental health parity law. It required that I draft a media advisory and a follow-up press-release, offering only bare instructions for each, apart that they be compelling, catchy, and have a tangible hook. The test said we could incorporate “additional research,” which of course meant DO additional research. I was in Career Services when I received the test, and luckily I had Donna, a veteran PR-pro herself, to offer me some sound advice before I headed off to the confines of Tisch.

Aside from our writing skills, the point of the test was to gauge our ability to sift through large quantities of information and pinpoint what’s really important---what would seal the deal in a quick press release. I was used to writing concise news articles and conveying fact-based information; the hardest part would be determining what to write. And so, I spent the largest portion of that night simply researching. I read through the information the firm provided, highlighting what I discerned to be the most critical pieces. I also heavily researched mental health parity online, sifting through various news articles about mental health parity reforms in recent years—and issues that still need resolving. Bleary-eyed after hours of reading and research, I did the best I could to then draft the two separate documents, hoping that I conveyed the topic’s urgency and news-value. Exactly 24 hours later, I submitted the test, confident and overwhelmingly relieved that the stress was (temporarily) over.

So, that’s when the waiting game began. We all know it so well. If we’re lucky, employers will let us know when to expect a decision or response. If not, we’re left frantically checking computers and phones day-in-and-out, always convinced that the faint buzz from our cell-phones is the make-it-or-break-it news we’re waiting for. In my case, I was relatively lucky. A few days after receiving my test, the current assistant told me that she would contact me with a decision within two weeks. Relieved to have some sense of a timeline, I was able to enjoy the weeks that followed (including my spring break) without that lingering anxiety.

Check back next week for the third and final installment in this job hunt saga.

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My Experience With the Job Hunt: The Search Continues

For so many of us, spring is the season of job-applying overdrive. As summer inches closer and employers start to think-ahead, it feels like full-time job opportunities have slowly starting cropping up. Come March, my once-hopeless “writing/journalism” job search began generating more results. I started noticing more relevant and diversified listings featured on Tufts Career Connect. The best part? Hiring “now” could be loosely interpreted as “hiring in 3 months.”

In response to this promising upturn, (and my parent’s frequent “check-ins” on my struggling job hunt), I started taking my search more seriously than I had first semester. While doing so, I found that the “two-week-turnaround” reputation of media hiring isn’t so rigid. True, media employers are notoriously last minute, unable to afford the same early recruiting efforts as say finance, engineering, and accounting. But if you highlight the fact that you’re a graduating senior and willing to start work in just a few short months, employers might just give your application a careful glance.

While perusing Tufts Career Connect mid-February, I came across an opening that seemed, well, just about perfect. The job was for a Public Affair’s Assistant’s position at a NYC-based strategic communications firm that specialized in critical public issues like healthcare, education, sustainability, and international affairs. The job description involved a healthy mix of writing, editing, research, media relations, social media, and administrative support. I decided to look past the March hiring deadline, confident that May might just cut it. Inches away from uploading my resume, I then read the job qualifications: 1-2 years of experience. Uhhh..

So: the “1-2” years experience add-on. How does a seemingly straightforward phrase contain such muddled meaning? Does “1-2 years” include internships and relevant campus experience, or does it mandate full-time experience? (If so, why are you teasing me on my college career website?) Mulling over whether or not to invest time in a cover letter, I ultimately thought, why not? At the end of the day, we can’t exactly decode every ambiguity in the application process; what we can do is put our resumes in front of employers’ eyes and let them determine if we fit their mold.

It’s a good thing that I ignored that intimidating tidbit. Just a week later, I received an email from the current assistant, a Tufts alum and 1-year-veteran at the firm, who invited me to New York to interview with the firm’s Managing Director. In a one-two motion, I grabbed my cell-phone and dialed my mom, exclaiming multiple pieces of news in an incomprehensible jumble: I had an interview in a few weeks; that worrisome “1-2-years” piece didn’t matter; and (lucky for her) I’d soon be spending the weekend at home in New Jersey.

A few days before heading home, I started to slowly research the firm and prepare for the approaching day-of. I meticulously read through the company’s homepage, familiarizing myself with its history, services, clients, strategies, and the complex issues they represent. I read bios on the company’s main stars, focusing my attention on the Managing Director I’d meet the next day. I read through the press releases posted to the company’s news section for the newest information on initiatives, campaigns, and mergers. I checked out Linkedin and Glassdoor for important company and employee statistics. Meanwhile, I prepped answers to interview questions (Career Services’ sample questions were a major help here), and I am fairly certain that I terrified my seatmate with my slew of creepy, under-the-breath mutters. The fact that I was heading to NYC for this interview—a total 8-hours of transportation---made this particular opportunity feel more real, urgent, and important. This was confirmed as my train slowly approached the vibrant, sparkling night skylights of NYC, where I’ve long dreamed of starting my career.

The next day, my morning jitters were reinforced thanks to the frustrating inconveniences of my town’s trainline. I had an 11 a.m. interview: my two options were to arrive in NYC at 10:45, insufficient time to cross the city, or 9:40 a.m., over an hour before the interview started; recognizing the importance of being on-time, I opted for the latter option. After reaching NYC and arriving at the firm’s offices after a relatively short trip, I spent the rest of the hour in a small, dimly lit coffee shop. Sipping on my signature vanilla latte, I rehearsed some answers, bothered my parents via text, and spent the rest of the hour listening to calming music. After an hour of agonizing waiting (and fierce coffee-slurping), I finally walked around the corner to the office, ready to tackle the interview.

Check back next week for the next installment in this job hunt saga, "The Interview."

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Jumbo Spotlight: Julie Gomstyn, Communications & Advertising Professional

Introducing Julie Gomstyn, Senior Associate at Digitas, an integrated brand agency right here in Boston. Read on as Julie chats about her career trajectory, the vibrant culture of PR, and important steps for breaking into the industry.

1. How did you first become interested in the communications/advertising industry?
I have enjoyed writing ever since I was little. But I knew that writing per se wasn’t something I wanted to do 24/7. I also really like strategizing new ideas and working with people, so public relations seemed like a great combination of those skills.

2. What types of extracurricular activities were you involved with on campus? How did your experiences at Tufts help shape your career path?
I wrote and later served as a Managing Editor for the Tufts Zamboni. I learned a lot through editing and writing for a publication, and the fact that it was a humor magazine helped me to inject more creativity into my writing. I also interned at Tufts Career Services, where I helped students works on their resumes and cover letters. I found both these experiences very useful for the work I do now.

3. Did you have any internships and/or prior work experiences within media?
I held a variety of communications internships before Digitas. The summer after my freshman year, I interned two days a week unpaid for small adventure travel company as a PR intern. The winter of sophomore year, I did one of Tufts’ wintership programs at a nonprofit called Woodhull Institute. Again, I got some great hands-on experience; interning for a smaller company will do that. The summer after my sophomore year, I had a paid internship at a software company in the marketing department. I did it full time over the summer and part time during the fall as well.

The summer after my junior year, I had another paid internship, this time for a PR agency called MS&L. During the fall I also used it to fulfill the internship credit for my communications minor. Interning at a PR agency was a great experience; I learned a lot about working in media and the types of materials that you have to write in PR. I also had the chance to work with a number of different clients. I had wonderful mentors during my time there, and I got a great feel for the PR industry.

4. How did you land your job at Digitas?
My senior year, I reached out to a wide range of communications and media companies in Boston. I put together a list of the top companies I wanted to work for. Every day, I checked on their websites to see if they had any available job openings. It’s important that students take time to perfect resumes and cover letters, but once a job is posted, everyone else can see it too. You want to try to apply as quickly as you can.

I wound up landing the job a couple of weeks before I graduated. I started working a week after graduation.

5. What are your day-to-day responsibilities at the company?
I am a Senior Associate in the Corporate Communications team and my job is to represent Digitas both internally and externally to the wider advertising industry. Every morning, I come into the office and check the news on Digitas. In public relations, you want to see what people are saying about your clients---good, bad, inaccurate. It’s something that I keep my eye on all day.

I also post content to Digitas’ social channels, particularly our Twitter account and Facebook page. I update these channels on a daily basis, posting about events that we’re hosting and industry news that we think followers would be interested in. I also upload videos to our YouTube page and photos to our Flickr account.

I work on a weekly newsletter that goes out to the entire company, covering everything that’s happening at Digitas. I also publicize news about Digitas externally, informing the media about new ad campaigns that we’ve launched and events that our people are speaking at.

6. What are your favorite aspects of the job?
I love working on our social channels – it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy interacting with people on these networks. . I also love it when I get to promote the exciting things that are happening at Digitas to the media. It’s a wonderful feeling to see someone write something great about your client.

7. What skills do you feel are important to succeed at a job in communications?
You definitely need to be a good writer. You need to learn how to make your writing shorter and more to the point. It’s also important to be attentive to detail and have good research skills.

In today’s environment, if you want to succeed or land a job in communications, I recommend learning about social media because that’s become an increasingly important part of communications. I started blogging my senior year to make myself more appealing to companies.

An understanding of HTML could also be a good tool to have in your arsenal. I use it for the weekly newsletter, and it’s helpful for working with certain blog platforms.

8. What advice do you have for undergraduates also pursuing careers within communications? On the job-search in general?
Internships have become pretty critical for careers in communications. I would also say that it’s important to have good writing samples. Stay away from things that are too long; samples need to be well-written and not much longer than a page.

For the job hunt in general, you shouldn’t limit yourself to any one avenue of search. I used Craigslist and other job boards, but I also searched on Twitter and LinkedIn. I landed my job in Digitas by putting together a list of companies that I was interested in, and I checked their websites every day.

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Need Funding For Your Summer Internship?

Have your eyes on a fantastic internship opportunity but worried about lack of funding? Lucky for us, Career Services offers internship grants to up to 40 Tufts students who land unpaid internships for this 2012 summer. The grant amounts to a $3,500 stipend and is available to those who can commit at least 350 hours of work. Of the forty total grants, twenty-five grants are for non-profit or public sector internships, ten are for Tufts AS&E Diversity Fund Internships, four are for entrepreneurial leadership internships (and start-ups), and one is for an Innovation in Science & Technology opportunity. The summer internship grant allows you to join a company that cannot afford to compensate you, but promises meaningful hands-on experience and professional growth.

I had the opportunity to talk to Jack Carter (’13) about his internship at Solventerra, a Boston-based start-up that develops and manages clean-energy and sustainability campaigns. Thanks to a Career Services summer internship grant, Jack had the chance to gain hands-on office experience, pioneer substantive clean-energy projects, and feel his contributions being valued and noticed. Read on as Jack discusses his experiences saving the environment—and embarking on some career development along the way.

1. What motivated you to apply for a Career Services’ internship grant?
I became connected to Solventerra through Greg Hering (E ’10), who received an internship grant during his time here. He told me that the company could not offer me a salary, but that I should apply for this grant and get some money that way. I was offered the internship a few days before the grant was due. One of the grant donors had specified that his grant should apply to a green energy company, and I was selected.

2. How did the internship grant facilitate your overall internship experience?
If I hadn’t received the grant, the internship couldn’t afford to pay me. I probably still would have done something with the company, but I would have worked part time for the whole summer, or full time for only four to six weeks. With the $3,500 grant, I could work there all summer. I had extra responsibilities, which taught me additional skills and look great on my resume. This experience is helping me as I apply for summer internships.

3. What was the application process like?
I found out about the grant three days before it was due. I needed two references. I received one from of my professors and one from my previous employer. There was a total of 2-3 pages of writing for around 10 different questions.

4. What inspired you to pursue an internship at Solventerra?
It was nice because I knew someone there through Tufts, and he assured me that I’d be doing some real work. I wouldn’t be fetching coffee for people, and that was really attractive to me. This is one of the advantages of working at a smaller company. It’s more likely that a startup won’t be able to pay you, but this is the reason that Tufts’ funding opportunities are so important. They allow students to pursue companies without worrying about compensation, focusing instead on their other benefits.

5. What were your main responsibilities as an intern?
I had two major projects over the summer. First, I was responsible for making the company’s new website, Solventerra.com. I had taken a web programming course in the spring semester, and the company was very happy with the new website. I created a form where people could describe their property, allowing Solventerra to assess its promise as a solar candidate. After I completed the website, I began to create solar panel installation layouts. I looked at topographical maps of potential sites and placed each solar panel individually, taking care to maintain proper distances from wetlands, shade sources, and property lines. I had to develop the workflow myself, integrating AutoCAD and other professional software. I designed eleven layouts, and saved Solventerra $2,300 per layout. Several of these projects have reached final planning stages and should be constructed according to my designs, which is an incredible feeling.

6. What would you say you learned from the job?
I learned engineering skills, along with basic office skills. It was my first office job. I participated in meetings and got into the habit of arriving on time, dressed professionally, five days a week. I met with clients and learned how to interact with professionals in meetings and at trade expos. I would highly recommend pursuing an internship at a smaller company, where interns can more easily shape their experience to pursue their individual goals.

7. Did your experience as an intern lend insight into what you can see yourself doing professionally?
I fully intend to make a career in energy. Last month I participated in the DoE Better Buildings case competition, designing energy efficiency improvements for a hotel. We presented our findings in Washington, D.C. I am currently seeking an internship in commercial building energy efficiency. This is a huge, emerging market. Before my internship with Solventerra, I had no idea what I wanted to do as an engineer. Now I have a real passion for energy efficiency, and Solventerra gave me the foundation of a career in the field.

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Who's Next? Be The New Career Services Amabassador!

Senior year comes with so many lasts, that I’d almost forgotten that this was one of them: my last semester as Tufts Career Services Ambassador. I’d come on board my first semester junior year, eager to fire off career-related posts and cultivate my writer’s voice. I started out as a “freelance” blogger, if you will, contributing posts 3,000 miles away in Madrid. My experience was only enhanced when I returned that spring to Dowling Hall and became a more official part of the office staff. Now, I am confident to say, my experiences at Career Services remain among the highlights of my college career.

So, what made this experience so particularly meaningful and important? Ahh, there are so many things. There’s the wonderful Career Services staff; the chance to utilize relevant marketing tools; the opportunity to write and publicize career information that is critical to every single one of us.

To break it down a bit, the most enticing benefit of this job is that it allows you to cultivate a wide and essential skill set. The handling of Career Services’ online presence—a task essentially made for us digitalized youths of tomorrow—is by nature multi-faceted, dynamic, and ever-changing. What’s more? These skills have become increasingly necessary for breaking into today’s transforming media industry.

First there’s the writing, or blogging, element---my personal favorite part of the job. Truthfully, I had never blogged before this experience. In middle school, I wasn't brave enough to advertise my deepest, darkest thoughts through the overly popular Xanga. But as soon as I started blogging, transforming my formal journalists’ voice into something personal and accessible, I came to love it more and more. Blogging, about whatever topic of the minute, came to feel refreshingly easy and natural.

Along with blogging, there’s the opportunity to co-manage the office’s increasingly “likable” Facebook page. This includes the chance to brainstorm posts, advertise new job opportunities, and generate content that will zoom right into students’ newsfeeds. As all of us media hawks probably know, social media has redefined the way we read and digest professional news. Today, a journalist’s popularity is easily gauged through his or her teeming collection of Twitter followers and Facebook fans, for instance.

Beyond this, the job of the student ambassador is to strategize ways to reach Tufts student audiences. This takes creativity, thoughtfulness, and drive. But we’re also in a familiar position: simply put, we’re targeting the student population—that is, ourselves. We have the privilege of living among students and directly gauging what it is they want to know. And we have the accessible online tools to drive these messages home.

Simply put, the opportunity to develop and publicize Career Services’ online presence comes with wonderful professional benefits. So much of our communication is occurring via the web—through online news stories, quickie blog posts, Facebook, twitter, and more. Regardless of which industry niche you’re looking to navigate, experience in blogging, social media, and marketing strategy will give you an important edge in the job market. These are critical skills to add to your ever-growing repertoire.

Beyond the resume boost, however, is the gratification of feeling like my writing is making a real impact. The one thing you can bet students are discussing, whether calmly or in a state of frenzy, is the fateful career hunt. The job-hunt is universal, and it affects every single one of us. Covering everything from interview tips to job-hunt sites to networking follow-ups, the blog offers a relatable, accessible lens on the whole process. It’s been incredibly satisfying to contribute to the dissemination of helpful and critically important career knowledge.

As I started weighing my career options (I do work at career-services after all), I realized this was something I could see myself doing full-time. The job has pushed me to discover the types of writing and publicity work I love, as well as the media jobs I can see myself pursuing professionally. Between the writing, marketing, and creative components, this job is truly all-encompassing; it allows you to dabble in various online mediums and discern your specific strengths and fortes. And it all happens within Tufts’ hub of career-discovery, right here under Career Services’ roof.

The best part? This position is still transforming. Nothing is rigidly defined or set-in-stone. If you have a penchant for a certain type of skill, or if you’ve brainstormed a new approach to our traditional way of doing things, Career Services wants to hear about it. We are Tufts’ fresh, young student voices after all, here to bridge the gap between the office’s resources and our student body. Your voice and ideas really matter. Simply put, the job is truly what you make of it; it’s there to be molded and reshaped by the unique ambitions of whoever is next in line.

Career Services is currently hiring a new ambassador to create content for the blog and utilize online and social media platforms to connect with the Tufts community. If this position seems like a good fit for your skills and interests, apply by March 16, 2012. Click here for an application.

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My Experience with the Job Hunt: Part 2

The fateful day of the final interview, it was pouring rain, of course. To save my direction-clueless self the trouble of navigating the city, I opted for a cab, which skidded on the flooding roads too many times for comfort. But when I arrived, dripping from head to toe, I immediately relaxed. A hiring coordinator—who I had met through Skype last week—greeted me and gave me a tour of their brightly-walled offices, featuring sprawling couches, a fitness center, and the latest modern décor.

I first spoke with a department head, who asked me to expand on my resume, explain how I measure “marketing success”, and show how I’d contribute to the firm’s campaigns. I then met with a human resources manager, who mainly asked about my background, including my abroad experience and hobbies, even touching on my long-forgotten piano days. Finally, I met once more with the hiring coordinator, who encouraged me to ask any additional questions before she led me out.

Ahhh, the questions. I’d have to say this was my one stumbling-block. I met with this same coordinator in-between each round, who encouraged me to ask any and all questions I had about the company. I’d already fired away my long question list on Skype the week before, when we had a similar question-answer session. I struggled to come up with something—anything---to ask her about, hoping to reinforce my interest. I wondered if I was being too repetitive, or if it was better to keep picking her brain rather than admit I was all set.

As it turns out, I still don’t have the answer. But what I did learn is that the tricky question-game isn’t so black and white; we just have to somehow strive to find that good balance. It’s important to have some intelligent questions on-hand, as well as follow-up with questions specific to the conversation. But at the same time, don’t force it. If you feel like you’re asking just to add to your precious question-count, your employer might sense it, too.

The hiring coordinator told me that she would have a decision for me by the following Monday. Turns out, I didn’t hear until that Wednesday afternoon, leading me to frantically check my phone each day until then, my heart racing as I saw the familiar red-blink in the corner---only to realize it was spam mail, or a friendly email from my grandpa.

As it turns out, I didn’t get the position. The hiring coordinator politely informed me that the company had decided to move forward with other candidates. She reinforced that it was a highly competitive program, and that I should continue to check out any available job openings on their website.

Predictably, I was bummed. But I had prepped myself for this likely possibility, and I bounced back fairly quickly. And of course, my friends and family helped. They told me something that should help all of us combat the feeling of rejection: if we don’t get the job, it probably wasn’t meant for us. Yes, we’re awesome, talented, intelligent, and totally competent. But, not every job is for us. If we get rejected, it’s not because we’re unqualified or unsuitable but because, for some reason or other, a hiring manager thought another candidate would be a better match. The dreaded rejection says nothing about us as job-competitors.

And, most importantly, these experiences---yes, even the rejections---are incredible learning experiences. The jittery nerves, the tricky questions, those awkward pauses—they all help in the long-run. Every experience pushes us to sharpen our interview skills and gain confidence in our professional interactions. And the more we practice, the better we get. We’ll look back on these rejections as necessary stepping stones in the job hunt, critical to landing the job truly right for us.

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My Experience with the Job Hunt: Part 1

I might seem like some slick career-expert, but I had entered this academic year—warned as the year for job-prowling and networking—entirely clueless. I had gone through the charade of internship-hunting before, but considering every position was for 2-3 months, it all felt much simpler. This was the first time I had experienced the full job process---the 6-person interviews, the carefully worded follows ups, the agonizing waiting game, and the constant ups and downs.

I thought I’d take the time to share a personal job-applying saga. Like so many, the experience was both exhilarating and nerve-wrecking, both inspiring and draining. And it was challenging, every step of the way. But more than anything, it was a tremendous learning experience, one that undoubtedly boosted my confidence and prepared me for what’s left to come.

This particular opportunity---an entry-level position at an online marketing company---came rather unexpectedly. The story harks back to the October Tufts Career Fair, where I had casually handed my resume to a number of attending employers. Eying the piles of resumes stacked on each booth, I hadn’t thought much of it. A few weeks later, I received a surprising email on my phone; my resume had been passed on to the marketing department, and I seemed like a good fit for its two-year rotational program. The hiring process started now.

This particular instance was rare in the sense that I didn’t technically apply. In an unexpected twist, my resume was sent out first, and the opportunity seemed to magically materialize right after. But it goes to show the benefits of just getting your name and resume out there, to as many people as possible. Somebody might just come upon your accomplishment list and present you with an opportunity.

The first step of this process was to complete an analytical exercise, due the following week. It required thinking analytically about online marketing rates and organizing data through excel. It took some time—I think it was my first time using a calculator in four years, embarrassingly—but the exercise soon became less daunting. I filled it out to the best of my ability and emailed it to the HR coordinator.

Soon after, I was asked to have a Skype interview, which would take place in January over winter break. I would meet with two employers for 15 minutes each. As so wisely instructed by Career Services, I researched the company online, parsed through its website, and did some behind-the-scenes employer research on Linkedin. This was my first Skype interview, and I didn’t know what to expect. I was worried about staticky connections, video malfunctions, and my forgetful family barging into my room. I imagined the staff judging me for my green-and-pink flowered wallpaper and stuffed-animal filled bed. Most of all, I was concerned that the employer might not get the same sense of me over a flat, impersonal computer screen.

My first Skype interview—like so many anticipated experiences—was more relaxed than I’d expected. The second employer couldn’t make it, so I talked to just one representative for 20 minutes. He asked me no trick questions, but instead went over my resume, asking me about my experience, interests, and education. I expanded on my relevant work experiences, praying they sounded impressive, and even spoke briefly about my favorite and least favorite classes. Considering it was my first “real” interview in a while, I had no idea how it went. I was delightfully surprised when I received a prompt email a few days later, inviting me to Skype with three more company reps a week later.

By the time next Friday rolled around, I felt more confident sitting in front of my computer. I had further explored the company and its high-tech website, expecting this round to be more challenging and analytical. And it many ways, it was. Each interviewer dived deeper into my background, pushing me to not only describe my experiences, but offer specific examples and scenarios. They wanted to know how I worked, both independently and in a team, and how I thought—creatively, strategically, and analytically. They asked me how I deal with stress, to share my most challenging experience, and to tell of a time I didn’t agree with a partner. I was also asked, surprisingly more than once, to talk about the work experience I found least rewarding. I had prepared a few answers for some thornier questions (eg. tell me about a time you solved a conflict), but many required me to think on my feet.

When I thought I was actually getting this whole Skype-thing, my video malfunctioned on my second interview. But I forced myself not to flip out. After repeatedly apologizing to the hiring coordinator (who could only hear my voice at that point, thank god), I ran out to the living-room and snatched my friend’s computer. And all was fine from there. In fact, the whole thing oddly eased me up, and the two of us had something to joke about (hopelessly unpredictable technology is apparently a good icebreaker).

That night, I was invited into the office for the final-round of the interview process. I would finally meet employers face-to-face, rather through my slowly malfunctioning computer, and I could finally show hirers my real, off-screen personality. I was incredibly excited to have come this far.

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How to Land a Media Job: My Takeaways

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend “How to Land a Media Job: Tips for Seniors,” a media panel co-sponsored by Tufts Career Services and the Communications & Media Studies Department. The event featured five panelists, who represented five different media professions: children’s production, advertising, film production, local reporting, and public radio. For those who didn’t attend, I thought I’d share a brief overview the event, the who’s who in the panel, and what I gathered about the state of modern media.

Before I go on, let me introduce the five panelists. They were friendly and personable, combining the serious stuff with colorful anecdotes. And they were honest, unafraid to tell us, point-blank, who they would hire and what it takes to get in the door.

Carol Greenwald: Senior Executive Producer of Children’s Programs at Boston’s WGBH. She manages the production of popular kid’s shows like Arthur and Curious George. (Who doesn’t love Arthur?)

John Davidow: The Executive Editor of New Media at WBUR Radio (and a proud Tufts alum). He oversees the content of WBUR’s hip new website.

Molly Crean: A Junior Recruiter and Internship Coordinator at Arnold Worldwide, responsible for recruiting new and creative talent to the ad-world.
Richard Lodge: Editor-in-Chief of GateHouse Media West and Metro Units, a daily newspaper that covers local community news.

Evan Mark Rimer: Assistant to the President at Anschutz Film Group, a subsidiary of Walden Media. Evan recruits new film projects and oversees film development.

At first, I figured this would be yet another helpful albeit depressing panel about the hopelessness of media. This would be temporarily confirmed by a comical film clip, featuring two cartoon characters discussing journalism. “I want to work for the New York Times,” the first cartoon robotically said. “You will not work for the NY Times,” retorted its pessimistic counterpart. “You will report insignificant stories and get laid off and move to the middle of Kansas”. (Okay, totally not the real dialogue, but you get the jist.)

The ominous mood was set. But as the event went on, and as each panelist opened up about his or her colorful media jobs, we all relaxed. What I took away instead was a much more complicated view of the industry. Media is struggling, yes, but it’s also rapidly transforming, now more than ever looking to recruit new talent.

So, the question we all want to know: what does it take to land a media job? The panelists first emphasized the importance of relevant internship and work experience. Prior experience shows that you are capable of handling professional media tasks and can thrive in fast-paced work culture. Interestingly enough, Carol also stressed prior employment, whether at your local supermarket or DQ. As she put it bluntly, employers like seeing that you know what it means to have a job.

In the vein of digitalization, the panelists—Richard particularly—said they love those with a versatile skill set. They are always eager to fill, “what’s not there”. So if you have a penchant for say, photography or slide-show making, or perhaps HTML coding, make this clear! Even if you aren’t too comfortable with digital tools, there’s still plenty of time to learn. Also, it’s always a plus to be familiar with social media and online news sites. Yes, they’re ultra-experienced, but these media veterans want to learn too. As Richard said, “I want you to teach me something new.”

The employers also touted writing as the most important skill for media success. Even more than your GPA, your clips prove that you have knack for clearly and concisely relaying information. So what to do now? Write, write, write. Publish news stories. Blog (even if it’s about your love life). Tweet. Force your friends to follow you. As these panelists stressed, we should do all what we can to cultivate our writing voice and just publicize ourselves. And it’s good practice while we work towards the days when we’ll see our byline in some glossy magazine.

Of course, the panel couldn’t end without discussing the all-too-important networking process. Each panelist encouraged us to cultivate as many connections as possible—particularly key for breaking into media, which essentially thrives on networking. In this block of time before the actual job-applying season (most media jobs have a 2-3 week turnaround period) the best thing we can do is establish a large web of contacts, which we should continue to build and build. The larger our networking pool, the higher the likelihood of being nudged toward a job.

But say you don’t have a readily accessible pool of media contacts to schmooze with. The reporter attendees, particular Richard, encouraged the die-hard journalists to try cold-calling newsroom. Isn’t that what journalism is about, anyway? Of course, it’s important to do your research—to know who exactly you’re speaking with and to plan a smart, well-planned pitch. You never know where just one phone call could lead.

The final take-away - for me at least? If you love everything media, just go for it. The panelists were honest about some of the less-than-promising trends. But beyond this, they conveyed a rare passion for their current careers and a staunch dedication to exploring its exciting future. It’s this love for communicating information—the writing, the reading, the filming, the reporting—that makes these challenges and budget-cuts well-worth it. As proud members of this next online-savvy generation, we’re the ones media is depending on.

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The Ambassador's Top 5 Favorite Job Sites

To my fellow senior class, this is it. This is the last time we’ll be students before entering the career-world abyss, the one we keep hearing about, but never actually thought would come. But I swear, this isn’t meant to be a depressing,” let’s mourn the loss of our college-youth” post. Sure, we can’t help but think about everything in terms of “lasts”—our last first day of classes, our last winter bash, our last time(s) sprinting to the Joey. But there’s a whole lot of exciting perks about graduating and moving on, too, most of which we can’t even name yet.

For most of us, this semester will probably be focused on finding that coveted first job. The problem? There’s at least a zillion places to start. To prevent brain-overload, I find it helpful to hone in on a few particularly helpful career resources. Here’s a list of my top five favorite career sites:

1.Tufts Career Connect: Tufts Career Connect is valuable because it connects us to job listings, companies, and employers directly linked to the Tufts name. I’ve applied to my fair share of jobs through Tufts Career Connect—some I heard back from, some not—and each time, I felt comfortable in a way I couldn’t on a totally-random job site. I also suggest making a Job Agent, a handy feature that alerts you to new opportunities based on the qualifications you’ve selected. But it’s always wise to check out this website (updated daily) on your own, too.

2. Career Services introduces the Tufts Career Advisory Network, the revamped, new-and-improved version of its past Alumni resource. Along with mere lists of graduates, this resource offers detailed profiles of an alumni’s entire educational and career path. This new search engine is comprehensive and user-friendly, and it generates a much more satisfying feel of community. What’s more—students can shoot an email (professional and carefully worded, of course) to alumni directly through the site itself.

3. Glassdoor: For those of you that haven’t visited the ever-helpful Glassdoor, I recommend it. Search any company or employer, and you’ll be faced with an all-you-can-ask-for list of background information, statistics, salary trends, interview questions, and more. I’ve personally used Glassdoor to prepare for a few nerve-racking interviews. One of my friends darted the awkward “salary question” by skimming the site’s list of statistics. Whether you’re looking for a specific piece of information, or simply trying to familiarize yourself with a company and its trends, Glassdoor is probably the place for it.

4. Vault: I’d heard about this search engine before, but I had no idea how relevant it might be to the job-hunt until probably three days ago. When you think of the word vault, you probably think of some sort of big, endless, underground storage space; that’s what this is, really. Covering everything even remotely career-related, Vault is known for its seemingly limitless series of detailed profiles and guides—on companies, employers, job industries, everything. It combines up-to-the-minute facts with broader, well-researched information. You might visit Vault before an interview to familiarize yourself with a company and its industry-specific lingo. Or, you might want to get a panoramic feel for a less-familiar job sector. Or company. Or employer. Simply put, it has everything.

5. A final word of advice: As far as job search engines, I suggest sticking to industry-specific job sites, which I’ve found more helpful—and less daunting—than all-inclusive job aggregators. As an aspiring writer/editor/publisher, I trend toward ED 2010, which focuses on jobs in magazines, as well as bookjobs.com, geared towards book publishing. But for all those future engineers, financiers, lawyers, doctors, and save-the-world advocates out there, there are plenty more. Click here for our carefully-compiled list of industry-specific job-search sites. I promise you’ll find something there.

I hope you find this compact list of career resources helpful. With the overwhelming surplus of job sites out there, it’s often refreshing to relax, choose a few easy-to-navigate ones, and hone in on what’s really important.

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Employer Perspectives: OC&C Strategy Consultants

Interested in a career in consulting? I spoke with two decision makers at OC&C Strategy Consultants, Director of HR and Recruiting Danielle McColgan and Consultant Jason Majane E08, who gave me a inside look into the recruiting and hiring process at one of Boston’s top management consulting firms.

1.Why did you decide to recruit at Tufts?

Danielle: This was our first year partnering with Tufts. We had wanted to expand our undergraduate recruiting program. Jason [Majane E08] is one of our consultants, and he came from Tufts and is familiar with the program and we have always held it in high regard.

Jason: I have been at OC&C for two and a half years. I graduated in 2008. We have historically recruited from a few other schools in the Boston area. It’s easier to focus on a couple of places, and there are a lot of really smart people in this area. Now that the office is at an even greater size, we thought it was time to break in more. Consulting is not as well known a career at Tufts yet. We thought it was a good idea to break in and be a first mover in the Tufts consultant movement.

2. Would you briefly describe your experience working with and recruiting at Tufts?

Danielle: I found it to be a really great and successful year. It was wonderful working with the staff at Tufts Career Services, all of who were very welcoming and accommodating. We were able to get early exposure to students through the Tufts Career Fair and the Careers in Consulting event. The Careers in Consulting event was an especially great experience for me because it was a more concentrated program. I met with some really strong students really early on, and I was able to closely work with them throughout the introductory practice phases. I interviewed and met with a large number of talented students, which translated into some hires for us.

3. What advice can you give undergraduates?

Danielle: I advise them to be conscientious and targeted in the companies they talk to. At the Career Fair, I met with a few students who I had met with earlier on. Throughout the entire progress, we had a chance to see students continuously show up to events. For us as an employer, this shows a level of dedication and interest on the student’s behalf.

Additionally, I found the students we met with at the consulting night to be much more targeted in their search. They typically had very targeted questions and knew we did strategy work, so they already had the flavor of OC&C. This allowed for more meaningful dialogue, rather than a 30 second elevator pitch.

Jason: As a student, I always went to the Career Fair. It was great to have such a large number of employers there. I also enjoyed the Consulting Networking night, mainly because it’s a little more informal than other networking events. Students came and asked really good questions, and I liked the setup of it. There was a group of students asking someone questions, as opposed to students waiting in line and talking one-by-one. The event stimulated group discussion, which allowed people to hear each other’s questions and see what other students were looking for.

5. What are some strengths you see in Tufts students?

Danielle: Tufts students were incredibly engaging and quite a good fit for us personality-wise. We have a very open, collaborative, sort of young culture here, and I feel that a lot of Tufts students definitely had the right energy level and will really thrive in our environment. When I spoke with them, I could easily see them working here tomorrow. There is obviously a strong emphasis on being able to do the work and having the right analytical background. Once we have that, we really do care about fit. Tufts is a great match in that regard.

Jason: In general, students at Tufts are very good at having an open dialogue. I think this is in large part because discussion in the classroom is a very important part of the curriculum. I think this translates well into people being naturally curious and open with their questions.

6. How important are information sessions to your hiring process?

Danielle: As an employer, I feel that information sessions really help students become more prepared and targeted in their search. They help them figure out exactly what they’re looking for upon graduation, which I think goes a long way. It is absolutely okay to be looking at different industries, but it is also important to be targeted and know about the firm you’re talking to.

7. What about the case interview?

Danielle: [The case interview] is the crux of the interview at a consulting firm, and I think it would benefit students to have more preparation there. We offer students the opportunity to come into the office and practice, regardless of whether they have interviewed with us.

8. What is your recruiting schedule for next year?

Danielle: In terms of undergraduate programs, we recruit at Tufts, Williams, Harvard, MIT, and Dartmouth College. We certainly have students from other programs and do hire out of these schools, but this is where we focus our interests. Next year, we plan to continue this same trend. We plan to have the same hiring timeline and recruit from these same schools. It’s been very successful for us. We had a very successful campaign at Tufts and we are looking forward to partnering with Tufts again next year.

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Jumbo Spotlight: Introducing Tufts Alum and Financier: Lorie Lin

Meet Tufts alum and healthcare financier Lorie Lin (A'11), a entry level banking analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman, an elite financial services company in Boston. Featuring insight into the finance industry, networking, and real-world job-life, Lorie's career-success story is certainly worth a read.

1. When did you first become interested in the finance industry? What aspects of the business world particularly resonate with you?
I’ve always been interested in business. I’m drawn to business not because I’m interested in crunching numbers all day, but because I’m interested in learning where a company’s value comes from. I just think about iPhone and Apple, for instance; there is an insane, ridiculous Apple cult following, with investors playing 400 dollars for a single company stock. The qualitative and social aspects of business are what I find most interesting.

2. How did your experiences at Tufts help shape your career path?
At Tufts, I was Quantitative Economics major and an Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies Minor (ELS). Hands-down, I learned so much more from my ELS minor than all of my economics classes combined. It’s what made me really consider banking finance and business. Through my classes, I created business plans for hypothetical start-up companies, through which I’d project a company’s financial growth and comprise marketing plans. Much of what I learned was applicable to my internships and current job.

3. Did you have any internships and/or prior work experiences within finance?
I was part of Tufts Financial Group my junior year. The summer after my sophomore year, I interned for a mutual fund company in Shenzhen, China. After my junior year, I interned at Brown Brothers Harriman, and I’m currently working in this same group today.

4. How did you land your job at Brown Brothers Harriman?
One of my ELS professors announced to our class that there was an internship opportunity for an internship at BBH (Brown Brothers Harriman). I applied and was offered the internship, which I did right after my junior year. It was a great learning experience and from there, I kept in touch with co-workers and human resources. Then, I applied for an opening in my group during spring of my senior year.

5. What are your day-to-day responsibilities at the company?
I work in the healthcare corporate banking group. We make loans out to middle-market healthcare companies, which include medical technologies, healthcare services, etc. My job is to analyze these different companies. I write credit analysis reports---almost similar to what I did for my ELS business plans---which contain an overview of the company, an analysis of the competition and the market, financial modeling, and forecasting. As an entry-level analyst, I basically support whoever else needs my help.

6. What is the work climate at BBH like?
The specific team that I work on contains 10 people. It’s a very collegiate atmosphere. You’re working on your own-time---you don’t clock in or clock out---and you take on your own responsibilities. It’s a very professional atmosphere, very business-y. But at the same time, it doesn’t give off a snooty banker vibe. Everyone is so nice and all willing to help; they know I’m the “new girl” on the floor. It took just a couple of weeks to get over the initial intimidation.

7. What are your favorite aspects of the job?
I am really lucky to have been placed in the healthcare group. I find it really exciting to be in healthcare, and I feel like it just adds more value to the work I’m doing. I’m investing in companies that are saving people’s lives every day. There is so much happening with new healthcare initiatives; there are enormous opportunities for healthcare IT and service providers because of the economic climate and new healthcare policies, and it’s been so interesting to monitor what’s going on in the current market. It is rewarding to provide money for companies that are physically helping other people.

8. What skills do you feel are important to succeed at a job in finance?
You should be a math person and just generally comfortable with numbers. You should also be very analytical and open-minded, and be able to find different ways of looking at situations. As an analyst, you are constantly evaluating various companies and situations. I think it’s important to be confident in the work you do, to have conviction and stand behind your points.

I also think it’s important to have good communication and inter-personal skills. Senior level bankers interact with clients everyday; in a business role, it’s all about networking. You could be biggest math and excel whiz, but if you can’t interact and connect with other people, you won’t get that far.

9. Where do you envision yourself in 5-10 years?
I definitely want to go to business school and get my MBA within the next 3-4 years. I am studying for the GMAT right now. I want to stay within business, but I’d also be open to seeing what comes out after business school. For now, I am planning to stay with BBH; I’ve already learned so much in the past few years, and I’d love to keep growing within the company. I am very excited by healthcare, and I could definitely see myself staying there if I have the option. I also like the weird, geeky gadget sectors related to technology. It would be awesome to be able to work in a variety of different sectors.

10. What advice do you have for undergraduates on the job-search?
Put yourself out there and network. When I was a senior, it was the only advice anyone gave us. I was skeptical about it at first, but it really is the most helpful thing you could do as a student. I never realized this until I graduated, but I’ve found that people are so much more willing to help you out if you say you’re a student. If you go to a random networking event and walk up to someone and say that you want to learn more about his/her professional life, they will generally want to help you. My professor was a huge help is how I got my job today, for instance; that’s networking. You just put yourself out there and ask to hear more information. Welcome any and all advice, as you never know when it’ll come in handy. And stay in touch with everyone that you know; you never know when they’ll link you to an opportunity

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Network Your Way Through The Holidays

There’s absolutely nothing better than Thanksgiving— the warm feeling of dining with our loud-mouthed families, gorging on oven-fresh turkey, entirely not caring that in a matter of seconds we’ll be too full too move. After weeks of clobbering workloads, this sounds just fantastic---what we could all use and really need. Thanksgiving forces us to leave behind lonesome library hours for face-to-face interaction. From a Career Services stand-point, these animated conversations benefit us more than we know.

We all have those family members and friends that we only see during the holidays, just once or twice a year. After having the cliché freak-out that we’ve grown up so fast, they love asking about our lives—especially our real-world lives. Chances are, we’ll be talking about, rehashing, repeating, and re-repeating our career interests, job-search progress, and aspirations for the future. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, our Thanksgiving will be filled-to-the-brim with career chatter.

And why not take advantage of the career tips and networking opportunities Thanksgiving offers? Bask in the glory of being the night’s center-of-attention and roll with it. This is a time to openly and candidly talk about your aspirations, concerns, stresses, goals, roadblocks— really anything—in a non-judgmental and entirely supportive setting.

Of course, there’s always the consequence of too much too fast. If you’re tired of fielding questions about your career saga, redirect the focus a bit. See this as an opportunity to gather information from your family questioners, who definitely have some tidbits about this daunting thing called real-life. If the time calls for it, you might even ask your Thanksgiving attendees about their own career-lives—the current affairs of their own industry and how they landed that coveted first job. Even if they’re not in your field, they might have connections to field-relevant professionals, or know of some potential opportunities.

Thanksgiving is also a chance to set the stage for any career development on-the-agenda for winter break. In contrast to the mad-dash of Thanksgiving, winter break offers us a long expanse of time to arrange informational interviews, mingle with local professionals, and put our networking skills to good use. If we find a spare moment during the Thanksgiving recess, why not reach out to a few professionals to check in, reinforce our interest, and arrange a meeting for the month to come? It’s never too early to get your name etched into an employer’s busy calendar.

It goes to show that career-development is truly an everywhere, anywhere process. The most candid and vibrant career chatter springs alive when we’re in an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort. And besides, career talk is always most successful over a slice of pumpkin pie.

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Jumbo Spotlight: Non-Profit Program Coordinator, Maura Donahue

I had the opportunity to chat with Tufts alum Maura Donahue A10, the talented, tech-savvy, and ever-busy program coordinator at the Children’s Advocacy Center. Read on as Maura discusses her vibrant work experiences, the infamous job search, and how her own Jumbo college days inspired her professional growth.

1.What was your college major? How did your experience at Tufts shape your interest in the non-profit field?

Tufts has a great college atmosphere; it promotes active citizenship, and there are so many classes and activities that cater to students who have a cause and genuinely want to improve the universe. I found this calling in Peace and Justice Studies, and Art History brought a creative element to it. My senior year, I wrote a senior honors thesis that explored public art projects with a social activism component. I was also involved with Collaborative Peace Games, which is an afterschool program that teaches nonviolence/nonviolent communication skills to middle schoolers. My interest in the non-profit field extended from my academic classes as well as my internship and volunteer experiences during my time at Tufts.

2. Can you expand on the mission of the Children’s Advocacy Organization?

When an incident of sexual or physical child abuse is reported, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County coordinates a multi-disciplinary team of police, prosecutors, social workers, advocates and medical and mental health professionals to provide specialized services for the child and their family. An example of a service is a forensic interview conducted at our Center, observed together by the Team. This is why [the Children’s Advocacy Center] has such a special mission. Before the CAC, the child would have to tell their story multiple times, perhaps to a teacher, then to a guidance counselor, then to a lawyer or social worker, and so on. Each time a child is telling his/her story, it’s reinforcing the trauma. At the Children’s Advocacy Center, the whole idea is centered on the best possible interest of the child. We exist so that children can tell their story comfortably and that they can tell it only once.

3.How did you land your job at the Children’s Advocacy center?

I had not heard of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County before I applied for the position. I found the job opening on Idealist, which advertises a lot of non-profit positions. After not hearing back a month after applying, I sent a follow-up email, reiterating my interest in the organization and offering supplemental information. Then I was offered an interview. I came in for a second interview, and afterwards I was offered the position. I’ve found that there are so many ways to engage in the job search and just get your name and goals out there – use what works best for you!

4. What is your position at the Children’s Advocacy Center? What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

I am the Program Coordinator at the Children’s Advocacy Center. In many ways, it’s been a crash-course. In a small non-profit, the Program Coordinator can be charged with many responsibilities and tasks because there is often a lot to get done. I have learned many new skills; for example I never thought I would be using Quick books accounting software after graduation. It is beneficial for the organization to do projects in-house, which has led me to take on projects such as web-page programming and social media. This involved a new mastery of design work, primarily utilizing Adobe InDesign. Our generation is in-tune with computers in ways that I didn’t recongize while at Tufts and it has been exciting to bring that to the CAC

The other part of my job is supporting the development sector. This involves not only raising funds, but also raising awareness about the CAC. I work closely with the Development Director to find ways to bring our mission to people and foster their engagement, which we often do through events and programs. One particularly special event we organize is called Hope Blooms, launching this fall. We will plant 1122 crocus bulbs on the Greenway in Boston in recognition of each child referred to our organization last year. The first blooming of these flowers embodies the first signs of hope in spring after a long winter, so this event has a very symbolic meaning that speaks to the CAC mission.

5. What are your favorite parts about the job?

I work with so many people who are really dedicated to the mission of the CAC. It is inspiring to observe the work of direct services providers who have an extremely difficult and admirable job. My other favorite part of the job is the day-to-day challenge. When I graduated from Tufts, I would have told you that I had limited technical knowledge in the computer realm. Now I feel much more confident, using HTML programming, Adobe InDesign, and accounting tools on a nearly daily basis.. So much of my experience has been about tackling new skills formerly outside my comfort zone. It’s fun and rewarding to know that you’re growing your professional skill set and truly contributing to an organization.

6. What skills do you feel are most necessary to succeed at your job?

I think it’s really valuable to be a go-getter and an active problem-solver. If you don’t know how to do something, try to seek out the advice of people who do. If that isn’t possible in the moment, do what college students do best: Google it! And it’s also important to be flexible, especially in a smaller non-profit. I always find myself lending support to co-workers, and vice-versa, and I’ve continued to learn the importance of being a good team player.

7. Is there a particular experience or moment on-the-job that especially sticks out to you?

Last December, one of my first responsibilities was to plan the Holiday Toy Drive. We partnered with South Station, where all of the toys were collected, and we distributed the toys to our partner agencies, which reach the children that we serve. It was such an incredible feeling knowing that each of those toys was going to be in the hands of a child; it made me want to go to work even more. It was wonderful witnessing a stranger’s act of kindness in donating the toys, and then seeing how that kindness was passed along to create more of it. Out of all my experiences, this was especially close to my heart.

8. What steps did you take while at Tufts to get a leg up in the job hunt? What advice do you have for undergrads currently embarking on the career search?

While I knew what my interests and passions were during college, it didn’t always seem like there was a very clear career path when it came time to job search. I started to do a variety of informational interviews with alumni through Tufts Career Network during my senior year and after graduation. It was a great experience to hear from people who had gone to Tufts, and I would highly recommend it. Through the interviews, I also found out about jobs that I didn’t even know existed! I learned about their career trajectory, and it helped me understand that you don’t always have to know exactly where you’re going; if you keep in mind what makes you happy and what motivates you, things have a way of working out. My advice to undergraduates during the job hunt is to keep your confidence and know that you’re a qualified candidate with a lot to offer!

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Should I Go To Graduate School?

As we map out our post college paths, the graduate school question instantly comes to mind. It’s all anyone seems to be talking about, dialing home about, and speedily running to career services about. And the question still remains: are we ready to bravely join the suit-and-tie clad work populace on their tightly wound 9-5 routines? Or are we not quite willing to part with fluorescent-lighted classrooms, gifted professors, and the art of simply learning? Are sixteen years as students enough, or does the fact that we’re “technically done now” freak you out?

In this day and age, the grad school question is increasingly complicated. It requires us to consider an amalgamation of factors, some of which neatly coincide, others of which collide and clash, leaving it up to us to weigh the pros and cons of laboring through GRE prep books and program applications.

First of all, there’s the cost. While public universities cost $10,000 to $25,000 per year, private ones demand as much as $40,000 for that upper-level degree. Some of us have just emptied our pockets for our undergraduate education; are we in the position to trade first-year salaries for the lofty price of grad school? Will spending the big bucks upfront confer us the starting salary and job title we’re hoping for?

But with this said, it’s important to keep in mind that times have changed. The same post-graduate steps we may have taken 10, or even 5, years ago might not be as practical in the wake of today’s crippling economic recession. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the number of new students enrolled in 2010 graduate programs actually dipped for the first time in 7 years. While eager-to-learn professionals are more reluctant to abandon current jobs, businesses with tight budgets have been forced to reduce grad-school funding. And then there’s the uncomfortable fact churning in the back of all our minds: will there be a job waiting at the end of your graduate degree?

But this is not meant to deter the grad-school bound from expanding our intellectual curiosities. It’s just to get us to think—really think— about what we hope to take away from graduate school, why we’re choosing a given program, and (the most nagging question of all), when we should be applying.

As always, a sure way to start detangling these thorny questions is to do your research. If you have a so-called dream job in mind, see what kind of advanced degree and/or work experience is required to seize that prized opening and advance up the ladder. Talk to everyone you can—family, peers, teachers, professionals, and our ever-helpful Career Services staff. Generally speaking, keep up with the changing current of your specific industry and the general job hunt game; research the credentials and qualifications needed today to make headway in your field-of-choice.

Across all professions, hiring recruiters value work experience, which proves our ability to perform job functions in ways schooling often can’t. While that prestigious degree shows your depth and breadth of knowledge, time spent immersed in a field’s fast-paced climate proves you’re well-prepared, experienced and refreshingly easy-to-train. In fact, most master’s and doctorate programs highly recommend—or even require—candidates to buckle down for a few years of applicable experience BEFORE applying. A year or two in the work force adds “real-world” experience to your application credentials, a perk that admissions officers eat right up.

But much more than an application perk, meaningful work experience both during and after college offers an expanse of time to just figure things out. It’s by trading the confines of campus for the vibrant work arena—enmeshing ourselves in this whole wide world of professionals and their ideas and perspectives—that we can genuinely know what it is we want to do. Only then might we decide how graduate school fits into our long-term career equation. Is that advanced degree the logical next step in achieving our career goals? Or do we see space to move up the ladder through work experience alone?

So before you dive into scribbling applications and snagging teacher recs, thoughtfully consider some of these larger questions. Keep in mind the insurmountable value of work experience and first-hand professional insight. And, most importantly, remember that it‘s okay not to have all the answers yet; it’s often by keeping our minds wide-open—letting all that impending real-world experience take its course—that our questions will be answered right for us.

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