What are common good careers?

This Wednesday, February 1 at 6:30 pm in Cohen Auditorium, Tufts Career Services and The Leonard Carmichael Society will host Careers in the Common Good: A Night of Networking.But what are common good careers? While there is no singular definition, for the purposes of this event we are using the term to refer to all work that has a shared and beneficial value for all (or most) members of a community. This term does not apply exclusively to non-profit work, but also includes for-profit, private, and public sector jobs that bring value to the community (of course, value is subjective).

Interested? Unsure? Want to learn more? Come network with alumni working a wide range of values-driven career fields and learn about why a career in the common good might be the right path for you.

The evening starts at 6:30 with a short keynote address by James Weinberg A00, Founder and CEO of Commongood Careers. Afterwards, join more than 30 alums for networking and small group discussion. Alumni will be present from the following industries and career areas: education; consulting; environmental; health care; public health; human services; legal; and philanthropy. Register to attend online by January 29

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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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Crash Course in Marketing - To Prep You for Careers in Consulting

Many students have a basic knowledge of marketing and the “marketing mix” or 4Ps (product, price, promotion/distribution, and place). Whether or not you’re interested in marketing as a career, this model offers a useful framework for your job search and, in particular, the networking aspect.

Promotion is the P we’re talking about here; it represents all the communications and channels that a marketer engages to create positive awareness of a product. Think broadly of “product.” It means more than a tangible entity like clothes or technology. Consider that marketing is used to promote services, ideas, and even people (a political campaign, for example).

Recognize a connection between marketing and job search? It’s all about what happens leading up to the deal itself.

Now, let’s think of you attending Careers in Consulting on Monday evening. Here we have a phenomenal marketing forum. Employers are marketing their brand to you, and vice versa. Think of this evening as a time to create positive awareness of yourself as a potential candidate.

One of the most common and grievous errors that job searchers make is to mistake a marketing opportunity for a sales pitch. Sales is more transactional; it happens only after an individual has been convinced to put money on the table or cast a vote in the polling booth or support a charity.

To move into sales mode when the situation calls for marketing is akin to a high school junior touring Tufts and trying to get a commitment from admissions. The timing’s not right. Remember this when you’re networking and focus instead on how to begin differentiating yourself (again, borrowing marketing techniques to build a “unique selling proposition”).

Employ multiple channels. Dress so you look like you’d easily fit into a corporate environment. Modulate your speech and adjust your language, from dorm quality to workplace. Most importantly, take a cue from consultants coming to campus who have offered their advice to you. Over and over, they offer you the key to your own differentiation.

“Do your homework,” they say.

Think of your own skills, knowledge, and experience and how it would be useful in a particular job and company. Then, set yourself apart with intelligent, well researched questions that demonstrate how thoroughly you’ve studied position requirements and a specific organization, from culture to practice areas.

Listen to Constantin von Wentzel, Director at Navigant and a Tufts alumnus: “Whatever job you’re pursuing, research it! “

And from Swati Shaw, an Analyst at Putnam Associates who graduated this past May: “Take your consulting firm research up a notch. Read through the company’s casework samples, research the CVs of the management team, understand how broader industry trends may impact their casework strategy, and research their type of clients to gain deeper understanding of the nature and value of the firm’s work.”

Good luck with your marketing campaign. See you Monday night.

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Prepare For The Fair--Part 2: I'm Here! Now What?

This is the second installment in our annual "Prepare for the Fair" series. If you haven't already, read "Part 1: Do your Homework."

At the Fair:

So you’re here, sleek and dressed-to-impress, ready to mingle in this colorful sea of job booths, employers, and eager-to-please students. You spot your first employer and slowly inch your way over to his/her booth, resume-in-hand. So…now what do you say?

1. Despite any hard-to-repress inner nerves, now’s the time to appear confident, enthusiastic, and totally-at-ease. Address your employer strongly and clearly, perform your confident but not-too-aggressive handshake, and always (always!) maintain eye-contact. Employers are evaluating not only your on-paper talents, but your interpersonal skills—your capacity to handle new interactions and master work-place social cues. But this isn’t meant to amp the nerves; just be your awesome-to-talk-to self, and you’ll do just fine!

2. Once you’ve made your confident first impression, here’s where the elevator pitch comes in. Similar to those all-too-cheesy openers designed to pick up that night’s crush, think of this as a “pick-up-line”. This is an opportunity for you (in a short 30-60 seconds) to compellingly convey who you are, why you’re interested, and how your skills and interests connect to the company-in-question. While being specific and thorough, this quick intro should be concise and to-the-point, absent of repetitions and extraneous life-details. It’s no question—crafting that concise, attention-grabbing elevator pitch isn’t easy. If you’re struggling with what to say, pay us a quick visit before the Fair and we’re happy to help!

3. After you’ve launched your 30 second intro and catalyzed the interaction, remain confident and proactive in conversation. Chances are, your employer will take some time to explain the company and reel us student crowds in. But when you see an opening, dip into your preparatory research and smartly engage in conversation. Trade the typical career questions for a thought-provoking question or pertinent, newsworthy topic, demonstrative of your preparation and savvy career know-how.

But much more than a showcase of your professional interests, these well-thought-out questions have the potential to most benefit you. Plan your questions wisely so that you come away with personalized career information, tips, and advice, the stuff that you can’t quite find scouring Google. More than anything, the Career Fair is an opportunity to intake career information, gather professional insight, and simply learn, a productive step forward toward reconciling our own hazy career goals.

After-the Fair

So you've survived the fair! But opportunities for career-development hardly end once we say our “nice-to-meet-yous” and exit Gancher’s doors. The way to make the most out of this mingling and networking crunch-time is to follow-up—start transforming this brief introductory meet-up into a consistent networking relationship. Once following up with an email or hand-written thank-you (a must!), we recommend that you craft an organized list of each employer who you encountered, indicating the date of your last encounter, plans to follow up, and other career events involving that company. Also, be sure to check out the Career Services website to learn when employers are visiting Tufts for on-campus interviews. I hope this Career Fair “how-to” has been helpful, and has more-or-less cleared up any bugging questions or concerns. As a senior slowly starting to grasp college’s expiration date, I’ll definitely be there somewhere in this eclectic, student-packed crowd—experiencing the same valuable take-aways the career fair has to offer. I hope to see you all there!

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