Ready for Launch: Notes from the Young Alumni Panel

Earlier this month, I went to the last installment of the Senior Launch Lunch Series, and it may have been my favorite of them all. The event featured a panel of recent Tufts graduates offering advice to the current senior class as they (we) prepare for the big post-graduation leap. While the panelists had so many incredible pieces of advice to offer us, I took away some key themes common to all of their post-Tufts experiences, and I think that these themes are important for any Tufts senior to hear.

My thoughts on graduation.

Don't stress. Of the four panelists in attendance, only one of them had a job the March before their graduation date. They all reassured us not to panic at this point - there is still plenty of time to find a job, get into grad school, or make a plan. All of the panelists expressed that regret over worrying away weeks of their senior year, only to have it all come together in the end (for one of the panelists, on the day of graduation). The effect of this message was like a collective sigh of relief from the entire room - let's try to keep that sigh going throughout the next few weeks.

Life after Tufts - there's a learning curve. One of my favorite questions that the panelists answered had to do with the transition from college student to full-time worker. To my surprise, everyone seemed to agree that working 40 hours a week is far less stressful than the college lifestyle. It's easier to leave work at work, to come home and relax without the constant specter of papers, exams, and assignments with fast-approaching deadlines. However, the panelists also agreed that too much free time can be a bad thing. They recommended finding some hobbies to ground your daily life in - whether it's running, regular meetings with old friends, or volunteering at a charity on the weekends. Being the overachieving Tufts students we are, it can feel uncomfortable to slow down sometimes - but there's more to do out there if you go looking.

Don't be a Patrick. Find some hobbies.

Your first job is temporary. Two of the four panelists had graduated last May, and already were into their second or third job. They both took jobs out of college that they thought would be exciting, or would lead to new skill development and networking connections, and realized that it wasn't what they wanted to do. But this wasn't a mistake in their eyes - they did learn a lot from the experience, and overall they felt that they needed to take that first step to know for sure that they wanted to do something different. We may feel like the next step is the endpoint, but really, it's just the beginning.

Maintain your connections to Tufts. One of my biggest fears about leaving Tufts is the imminent isolation - once college ends, we'll no longer be surrounded by people in our age group at all times, with friends whose schedules are as flexible as ours to enable frequent hang-outs. But, as the panelists so eloquently put it, you'll maintain the connections that you're committed to keeping. One panelist still contacts her professors regularly, and has frequently relied on them for recommendation letters and career advice. Another lives with a former Jumbo, who has since become a close friend."You may not miss everything about Tufts," one panelist explained, "but you will definitely miss the people you met and the friendships you made while you were here." So to all my friends and professors who think they'll finally be rid of me after May 2017 - you're dead wrong.

Sorry for all the Spongebob references - all this talk of the future has me nostalgic.

With less than 100 days to go, the launch into the "real world' is closer than ever. If anyone can prove that it's possible, however, it's those who have gone before us. If you know of any recent grads, reach out to them to learn any sage advice, or to reconnect with old friends. And, be sure to stop in the Career Center if you're still unsure of what the future holds!

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Tips for One Last Winter Break

As the fall semester comes to an end, I'm reminded once again of just how much of a senior I am. I'm not just talking about my lack of motivation or crippling need for sleep (for once). I'm also referring to the latest in a string of "lasts" that began recently and will continue until graduation: last fall gala, last college football game, and now last winter break. The idea of one final month-long break before I say goodbye to the sweetness that is the college calendar is enough to send me off a cliff of emotion. But, I'm instead going to remain calm and try to make the most of break, with a specific focus on preparation for life after Tufts, a reality that is approaching far too quickly for my liking. Outlined below is my plan for winter break, senior year edition:

First and foremost, get all of the sleep. ALL OF IT. This semester has been ridiculously busy for me - between two jobs, an internship, a full course load, and trying to juggle homework, clubs, friends and relationships, and my own personal happiness, I've been just a liiiiiittle bit completely overwhelmed. At some point, I just put my head down and barreled through the weeks, like a Greek soldier who fearlessly charges into the enemy's phalanx. Now that I've emerged from the fray, bruised and in extreme pain but somehow still alive, I am going to celebrate my survival by slipping into the state that most closely resembles death: sleep. (I should probably be concerned by how great that sounds right about now, but instead I think I'll just make another cup of coffee.)

Liz Lemon continues to inspire me.

Apps on apps on apps. After I wake from my week-long slumber, my top priority will be to fill out some job applications. I've tried to deny it until now, but there's no running from the fact that I'll be graduating in just about 5 months, and I should probably find something to do after they kick me off of this campus. What exactly will I do? Well, I could tell you, but I think instead I'll give the answer that I gave all of my relatives over Thanksgiving: "it's a surprise!" (Stay tuned for an actual answer to what I'm planning to do after graduation!) Jumbo Jobs is a great place to start.

Get all dressed up and talk about myself. The annual CIC Career Fairs - held in Boston, NYC, and DC - are coming up! These great events have a Career Fair in the morning and pre-scheduled interviews in the afternoon. The DC and NYC events will also lead into a Tufts Alumni networking event, featuring Jumbos who relocated to each city. I'll be at the Boston and NYC Fairs, and I'll hopefully see a few fellow Jumbos at these events. Interview pre-select deadline has passed, but you can still register for the morning career fairs where you may even land an afternoon interview! Be sure to check out these events if you're an underclassman interested in working in Boston, NYC, or DC!

Finals week spirit animal.

Need even more ways to fill up your winter break? Check out the Career Center's winter guides for all class years (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) for inspiration. The Career Center will also be open over break! Drop-ins are on hold, but you can make an in-person, phone, or Skype appointment 9-5 on weekdays.

Now is the time to not only take a break from school, but to focus on your long-term plans while you're not bogged down with homework. Get lots of rest, and I'll see you next year for one final semester of blogging! (*sheds first of many tears*)

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Internship Resources Every Tufts Student Should Know About

Last week, the Career Center hosted an internship workshop, which I co-facilitated as a Career Fellow. Although these events are always popular, last week's workshop had over 130 students in attendance, which according to our staff shatters any past record. Because of the high interest level, I'm beginning to think that driven, motivated Tufts students really want to know about internships, and the internship resources available to them. So, I present here a few of the resources we walked through during the internship workshop (along with advice from a senior who's actually used most of them!):

April Ludgate: most relatable college intern ever.

JumboJobs: This should be the first stop for any Tufts student looking for an internship. JumboJobs is a database filled with job and internship listings from employers specifically looking to hire Tufts students. You can scan through listings using a variety of search criteria (location, field of interest, position type), upload a resume/cover letter, and even apply for interviews or on-campus recruiting events. Another great aspect of JumboJobs is access to recruiters' contact information, usually listed in the job description. Another Career Fellow, Shivani, told a story about how she emailed an employer after finding their email address on JumboJobs, and ended up getting an internship. There are so many ways to use this site - be sure to advantage of them all!

Tufts Internship Profiles (TIP): The TIP books are put together by the Career Center every year because we know that one of the best resources for Tufts students is other Tufts students. TIP books are databases of your fellow Jumbos' past summer internships: each listing includes the student's roles/responsibilities, how they found their internship, and (most importantly) - every student whose name is included in the TIP book has agreed to be contacted by any other student. So don't be afraid to reach out to someone who's had an internship you want.

Jumbos help each other out.

Liberal Arts Career Network (LACN): Jim, a Career Center Assistant Director and the facilitator of the internship workshop, described LACN as "JumboJobs on steroids". This database is a lot like JumboJobs, except that it's shared between Tufts and many other universities in the US. By pooling resources, liberal arts colleges are trying to provide their students with as many internship opportunities as possible in a wide variety of fields and geographical locations.

Networking: Arguably, networking is one of the most valuable resources in your internship search arsenal. While combing databases is a great way to find internships, a lot of postings never make their way to these databases. Shivani, Jim, and I all recounted anecdotes from our professional lives in which networking landed us a job/internship. If you're unsure about what networking means, be sure to check out our website, or attend some networking events on or off campus (I just attended one of these last week - read about my experience here).

You may be thinking that November is a little early to start looking for summer internships. Truthfully, it is early - but that's a good thing. The sooner you start thinking about it, the sooner you'll start searching, the sooner you'll apply, and the sooner you'll find a meaningful experience that will further your career journey.

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Looking for a Mind at (Net)work: Notes from Medical Day on the Hill

I will take any chance I get to incorporate a Hamilton reference into my posts (Listen to the Schuyler Sisters if the title confuses you.)

Last Thursday, I attended Medical Day on the Hill, an annual networking event hosted by Health Professions Advising. The evening featured a panel of Tufts alumni now in the medical profession as well as a buffet dinner where current students had the opportunity to speak with more Jumbo-docs. This was the first professional networking event I've attended (for personal rather than Career Center-related reasons, that is), and I found it so incredibly motivating and illuminating that I knew I had to write a post about it. Here are my key takeways from Medical Day on the Hill:

You get what you work for. Every speaker on the panel iterated the importance of hard work in reaching their career goals. While this is certainly true of the medical profession, the same could be said for any field. The sentiment wasn't surprising to me, but it was a powerful message all the same: no one got to where they are today by being really really smart, or being the Surgeon General's daughter, or getting lucky. If you just work at it, you can get there.

Go at your own pace. A common topic of discussion among students and alumni was the idea of a gap year - or "growth year" as Health Professions Advising has begun to call it. All three alumni on the panel had taken at least a year in between undergraduate and medical school, along with the alumna sitting at my table, Marjorie Affel (A'03). Everyone had different reasons for their gap year, but I related best to the one that Marjorie gave - a desire to enjoy senior year of college and avoid rushing into medical school too fast. Taking a gap/growth year is a growing trend, especially in medicine, and it's an option that everyone should at least consider when deciding what to do after Tufts. Personally, I've already made up my mind to take a gap/growth year - stay tuned for updates on my search for a job/fellowship to fill it!

Me, every day.

It's a balancing act. Work-life balance came up a lot throughout the evening - probably because medicine is a field notorious for historically overworking its members. (Marjorie attended the event with her 3-month-old daughter in tow - as she put it, a clear sign that balance is something doctors "struggle with.") However, this doesn't mean that work-life balance is impossible to achieve; the panelists stressed the value of their support network of friends, family, and colleagues that keep them going through crazy times. Marjorie also gave our table some advice that really resonated with me: people (especially women, who often feel greater pressure to prioritize their personal lives over their professional ones) need to stop feeling bad for enjoying what they do. If you work a 60-hour week because you love every minute of your job, that's reason enough. If you want to cut back on hours to stay home with your kids, that's equally valid. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to a perfectly balanced life, it's possible to find a balance that works for you.

Networking always seems intimidating to college students, but a lot of us don't realize that it's basically just talking to people. I had a great experience at my first networking event, and hopefully I can attend more like it in the future! Be sure to check the Career Center calendar and e-News to be informed about events on and off campus.

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Professionals in residence: who will be on campus this fall . . .

Exploring different careers can be hard. I hear this a lot - “I’m interested in different things, but I don’t know how I’m going to learn about what I like and don’t like because I don’t have time to try all the things I want.” This seemingly impossible problem is usually expressed with a tinge of hopelessness and an appeal for realistic, actionable advice.

Source

The Professional in Residence Program at Tufts

Fear not friend! If you want to explore career fields, one great option is the Career Center's Professional in Residence Program, which brings professionals to campus so students can meet with them and learn what it's like to work in their field.

Professional in Residence = Easy Way to Network with Alumni

Connecting with alumni and professionals who are working in a field is one of the best ways to get insider information. We call these conversations, informational interviews, where you can get your questions answered and build a relationship at the same time.  It's good to do a few informational interviews within the same field so you can get more than one perspective. While the PIR Program is a convenient way to network with alumni right here on campus, there are many ways to connect to professionals, like through LinkedIn or by attending panel discussions and career events on and off campus.  

Source

What career fields do the alumni represent?  

Over the last two years we've hosted alumni as professionals in residence from many different fields including healthcare, non-profit management, environment, marketing, urban studies/planning and many others:

1. Moises Cohen (A11, IR), Director of Development, BUILD
2. Margot Schwartz (A06, Psychology & Community Health), Research Public Health Analyst, RTI International
3. Amy Cotter (J95, Political Science & Environmental Studies), Director of Strategic Initiatives/Regional Plan Implementation, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
4. Dana DiNino, PhD (J96 Biology, MG02 Cellular and Molecular Biology), Senior Principle Scientist, Pfizer
5. Johanna Neumann (J01, Biology & Environmental Studies), Donor Development Director, The Public Interest Network
6. Erin Allweiss (A05, IR), Founder and Partner, No. 29 Communications
7. Rita Reznikova (A08, IR), Senior Data Insights Manager, Forrester
8. Gillian Galen, PsyD (J01, Child Development, Community Health & Spanish), Program Director of 3East Intensive Adolescent DBT Residential Program, McLean Hospital

This fall we have two alumni scheduled to come to campus and we're in the process of adding others:

1. Jason Bauman, JD (A02, IR & Quantitative Economics), Policy Manager (North America), Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL)
2. Sarang Sekhavat, JD (A98, History & Anthropology), Federal Policy Director, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

If I sign up for the PIR Program, what can I expect?

Students sign up in Jumbo Jobs to meet 1-1 with the professional for 20 minutes in  the Career Center. We also host an open discussion over lunch for anyone to participate - munch on some pizza and salad and ask questions.

During your 1-on-1 time or over lunch you might ask questions like:

1. What kind of projects do you work on? 
2. What are some ways that I can break into this field?
3. What kinds of experiences are good for me to get while I'm at Tufts so I can get a job in your field?
4. Is graduate school necessary for me to get ahead in this field?

Source

You likely have a lot of ideas about what you could do for a job and the number of options can feel overwhelming. In order to feel confident weighing options, you have to feel good about the information that you're getting. Aside from internships and work experience, informational interviews are a great way for you to learn about a career, and the Professional in Residence Program brings experienced professionals right to Tufts so you can easily access them.

Check out our calendar throughout the semester to stay updated on who is coming to campus. And don't be afraid to reach out on your own to talk to alumni. If you have any questions about how to do that, we are here for you and there is great information available on our website, here! Until next time! 

- Jim McCarthy

Jim McCarthy is a Career Advisor in the Tufts Career Center and manages the Professional in Residence program. He also specializes in internship and LinkedIn programming a liaises with the Film and Media Studies, Environmental Studies, English, Chemistry and Biology departments.

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Post-Career Fair Tips

Last Wednesday, 2/10, the Career Center hosted its annual Spring Career Fair in Gantcher. There's so much buildup to this event, especially in the Career Center, that it almost feels time to take a break. With the hard part behind us, it'd be easy to do this; but, as any Career Advisor will tell you, follow-up is crucial. So, to prevent filing the Career Fair into long-term memory storage for the rest of the semester, here are some post-Career Fair tips to make sure you continue to get the most out of the experience.

Send thank-you/follow-up emails. If you spoke with employers at the Career Fair, odds are they gave you their business card - with an email address on it. Be sure to follow-up any conversation with a brief and professional thank you email. The Career Center has some tips on their website (see the "After the Interview" section at the bottom of the page) for writing thank-you emails, but the best advice in my opinion is to be prompt and specific. A good rule of thumb is to reply within 24 hours of your meeting, and be sure to mention specific details from your conversation. Taken together, these steps will increase the probability of leaving a lasting impression in the employer's mind, so that when applications come around, they're more likely to remember you for more than just your awesomely bright tie (a comment I actually got from an employer at the 2014 Fall Career Fair - sadly, it wasn't even my tie).
EXTRA TIP: Attach a pdf of your resume to the thank-you email. This will ensure that the employer receives a copy even if he loses your printed copy from the Career Fair.

Source

Keep up the momentum. Don't just stop at one follow-up email. Send another email a few weeks later about an interesting article in your and the employer's field, or check in to reiterate your interest in working for their company. Repeated interaction will definitely lead to a better professional relationship, and it won't hurt that afore mentioned lasting impression you want to make. However, being enthusiastic is very different from being overly persistent. Be sure not to send too many emails, or you may come off too strong.

Keep records and stay organized.  A good way to prevent yourself from sending too many emails is to keep frequently-updated records of all your encounters with different employers. I'm a big fan of the Excel spreadsheet; keep a column for the employer/contact's name, the dates of your correspondance, and next steps to be taken (submit an application, follow-up on an interview, etc). This will also prevent any name mix-ups or other blunders on your part.

Start getting serious about summer plans. The Spring Career Fair, in my opinion, provides a perfectly-timed wakeup-call for Tufts students across campus to start arranging their summer plans. While many of us might not need this extra push (shout-out to the proactive Jumbos out there, I have no idea how you're real), for most of us the Career Fair jumpstarts us into thinking critically about summer internships and, more broadly, our careers and post-graduation plans. Follow-up after the Career Fair can be for yourself as well as for your new network contacts. Make an appointment with a Career Advisor, browse our website or Jumbo Jobs, and get that ball rolling if you haven't already.

This doesn't have to be you. Come to the Career Center. (For some reason no one likes any of the slogans I propose.) (Source)

This post makes it sound like a lot of work has to go into your Career Fair experience after the Career Fair itself ends. While it's true that you shouldn't put the Career Fair out of your mind once it's over, you don't have to become wholly devoted to follow-up networking. Take little steps at a time - an email here, a 15-minute organizing session there - and it won't feel like some big, intimidating task that requires so much from you. The next baby step you take could lead you to an internship, or even the career, of your dreams.

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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Making the Most of Winter Break: A Junior Perspective

This is it, people.

Winter break is days away.

I don't know about you, but I've been waiting a long time for this break. While part of me thinks the semester has flown by, so much has happened in such a short time, including here at the Career Center. From events like the Fall Career Fair, Junior Kickstart, and Senior Launch, to the rolling out of the Career Fellows program (make an appointment with us now!), and with countless info sessions, workshops, and panels along the way, I would say that the Career Center is just as ready for a break as I am. (However, the Career Center never really "breaks" - they don't stop working for students after we leave campus. You can even make a Skype/phone appointment with a Career Advisor over the break!)

While plenty of time in the coming weeks will (and should) be spent relaxing, you might get bored after doing nothing but watching every season of Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and Parks and Rec over break (confession: I did this over my last break. I'm not proud. Except I kind of am). A bunch of high-achieving Tufts nerds like us need some good intellectual stimulation once in a while. It's like food for us - if we go too long without it, we get cranky and lash out at our mothers (confession: I did this over my last break too. Again, not proud). So, before you begin your third straight week of sitting on your couch this January, consider being productive. Like the Career Center always says, winter break is the perfect time to focus on your career development. Here are a few things you can do over winter break that involve minimal effort and can put you in great shape to start the next semester off right:

I know the feeling.

Explore summer internship opportunities. Remember all those perfect internships you found on your study breaks this semester? Now is the time to learn more about them, augment your list of positions, and start filling out some applications. Speaking from experience, getting a jump now while you have a (temporary) respite from schoolwork will be hugely beneficial for you in the long-term. Be sure to set aside a good amount of time for your internship search - you'll thank yourself later.

Network in your hometown. Planning to head back home after graduation? Now is the time to explore career opportunities in your area. Whether it's contacting someone you already know, or reaching out to local professionals you don't know yet, networking is a great way to make the most of winter break. Even if you're not planning to move back home after Tufts, it can never hurt to grab coffee with someone working your dream job to learn about their story and the advice they can pass on to you. (Hint: LinkedIn is a great way to connect with professionals all over the country who want to help you succeed. Learn how to join here.)

Shadow a professional in your field of interest. If your networking travels lead you to someone particularly interesting or helpful, you may want to ask to shadow them. Short-term experiences like shadowing are a great way to get hands-on experience with a career. Even if it's only for a few days, these experiences can give you a snapshot of what a typical day or week is like for a particular profession. How do I know this? I shadowed several veterinarians two summers ago, some for several weeks and some for only a day. Regardless of the length, each and every shadowing experience I had really informed me (in really different ways) about what it means to be a veterinarian.

Attend a networking night or other career development event. Like I said, the Career Center never stops working for students. This January, there will be Tufts Alumni Career Networking Nights in both Washington, DC and New York City. For students in these areas, this is a great time to meet Tufts alumni in person (not just on LinkedIn) and learn about their careers and paths to them. If you're headed for somewhere near DC or NYC this break, check these events out! See the Career Center Events Calendar for details.

Plan a timeline for the spring. If you're still desperate for some productivity over the break, consider planning out the next few months of your life (an unknown phenomenon to me, since I barely can plan for the next week). Set a few big dates, like when you want to have all your internship applications completed and sent in and when you want to have secured an internship. You could even take a look at your class schedule and build in a weekly hour or two for personal career development time. Weekly time to work on your internship/job search, update your resume, and research careers of interest will make the entire process a lot less overwhelming than trying to cram everything into a weekend or two.



I know I've used this quote before, but it just speaks to me.

Thanks for sticking it out this far into my post, especially after I suggested preposterous notions like doing things over winter break! As I said before, winter break is of course a time to unwind and do nothing. But doing something will not only keep your mind from turning into mush before school starts again. It will get you ready to rock the upcoming semester and secure that perfect internship you've always wanted. Stay organized, stay safe, and have fun!

Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017

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It's Never Too Early: Summer 2016

It seems as if the never-ending onslaught of mid-terms is finally behind us. With only two more weeks until Thanksgiving break, and winter break a few weeks after that, we’re more than halfway through the semester already.

With the (temporary) lull in schoolwork before finals start, now is the time to begin the search for summer internships (especially if you’re looking into a field that hires interns early, like engineering or consulting). Last year, my summer internship search began over winter break and continued into April. Although I was fortunate enough to find a great internship, I was more than stressed trying to solidify summer plans in the last few weeks of the semester. Now, I’m determined to stay on my game and secure a summer internship as early as possible. Faithful Career Center blog readers might remember that while last year, my mantra was “it's never too late,” my new, less anxiety-producing motto is the exact opposite: "it’s never too early." Here are some tips (and reminders for myself) for staying on track to ensure that your internship search is a successful one.

Define and refine your search criteria. When looking for an internship, you can set a few criteria to narrow your search and decrease the number of internship descriptions you have to sift through. Start with the basics: where do you want to live over the summer? Whether it’s back home, at Tufts, or a brand new location, deciding this early on will save you a headache or two. Last year, I thought it’d be a good idea to keep my search as open as possible, so I didn’t limit myself to any specific location. However, the amount of time I spent looking for internships throughout the US was so extensive that I ended up restricting my search to the Boston area just for my own sanity. Another important decision to make early (that goes hand-in-hand with choosing where to live) is whether to restrict your search to paid opportunities only. Remember that while plenty of paid internships are out there, funding is available through the Career Center and from many other sources for facilitating unpaid internships. But, be sure to leave yourself enough time to apply for funding if this is what you decide.

What you don't want your internship search to feel like.

Start with networking. If you have no idea what you want to do next week, let alone next summer, start with some reflection and informational interviewing. Ask your friend who interned at Morgan Stanley what it’s like to be a finance intern, email that distant relative who works in healthcare administration to see if they have any tips or pointers, or sit down with an alum who’s working your dream job to learn where they started. If you do have an idea of what you want to do, but aren’t sure where to start looking for positions, talk to your old internship supervisors, professors, deans, or advisors to see if they have any advice or know of any openings in their field. Remember, 70 – 80% of jobs are found through networking, so brushing it off as “for older people” or “intimidating” might not be the best idea. Read up on networking tips on the Career Center website.

Stay organized. Microsoft Excel can easily become your best friend during an internship search. Instead of leaving 20 tabs open for every application (did it once… would not recommend), keep a standardized, frequently-updated spreadsheet with all relevant information: job title, application deadline, contact person, required documents, and so on. This will also allow you to keep track of deadlines, so that you can prioritize which applications to fill out when.

Utilize the Career Center resources. It wouldn’t be a blog post for the Career Center without mention of the Career Center’s plethora of resources for finding internships. The website has a whole page dedicated to finding an internship, not to mention Jumbo Jobs, which updates weekly with new internship postings. If you’re overwhelmed by the website or confused in any way, make an appointment with a Career Advisor or stop by for drop-in hours. Finding an internship is not something you have to do alone.

Like the title of this post suggests, it’s never too early to start thinking about next summer. And by starting earlier, you leave yourself with more time to ensure that whatever you do over the summer is the best possible fit for you and your career goals.

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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You don’t need an Aunt [or Uncle] in the business…You just have to find one

One of the most common things I hear is: “I’ll never find a job in finance because my – Dad, Mom, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, insert any family member name here – doesn’t work in the business.” 

While having a familial connection is wonderful, it is by no means required to land a job. And to prove this, let’s take a step back for a moment… 

Many of the major financial firms are named after people: Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Morgan Stanley to name a few. If our family theory was correct, then you would expect, accounting for marriages and name changes through the years, that about 40-50% of the employees would have the same last name as the founders of the firm. After a four second check in LinkedIn, that theory is disproven. Now that we know that you don’t need a relative in the business and that non-family members can and do get hired, the real question is, how do YOU get hired? This brings us to the second part of the title: You just have to find one. An Aunt [or Uncle], that is. 

“But how Chris?” is what I am sure you are thinking, and thank you for asking. The solution to your question is something that you do every day without even thinking about it. Think about the last meal you had. Was it with someone else? If it was, did you sit there in silence just staring at each other, or did you speak? I’m guessing there was a conversation going on. Whether it was philosophical or sophomoric, you were conversing, and that, my friend, is the answer to your question: The Conversation! 

Source: Raphael Love, Instagram

I can see the confused look on your face, and that’s OK (and no your laptop camera isn’t on). You’re wondering, “How is a conversation going to solve my issue of no relatives in the business?” Well, when you break it down, all a relative is in this situation is an advocate inside the firm, and anyone, as long as they know and like you, can be an advocate. Think about every person that you have a good relationship with, and I would bet with 100% certainty that you have had at least one, but likely many conversations with that person. It is those conversations that build the bond that makes one person want to go out of their way to help another. Familial bonds are there at birth, but bonds are built between unrelated people every day. This bond is what will make your new found Aunt or Uncle want to help you. 

The best people to help you are your fellow Jumbos in the industry, really any industry that you want to work in. How do you find us? (Yes, I am a double Jumbo.) Your best bet is to use LinkedIn and the ‘Find Alumni’ tool. Going too deep into the how will make us miss the point of today’s conversation: talking to people is the answer to our problem. 

You’re now thinking, “OK, so I talk to people. Haven’t you just disguised Networking as a Conversation?” Yes, yes, I have. But did you notice that this is the first time that scary word popped into your mind? I’m guessing it’s because I mentioned LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an amazing tool that makes the job of connecting so much easier, but when using the tool, people have looked past the real goal – having a conversation with an interesting person that will likely create an opportunity – and have turned it into – networking is the pain I must endure for the sake of getting a job. At their underlying core, they are the same thing – talking to someone to make things happen –but like most things in life, it is all about how you look at the problem. As you can imagine, I’m all for the first point of view, and not as much of a fan of the second. 

Now grab a burrito from Anna’s, sit down with a friend, and happy talking.

Chris Di Fronzo is the Director of the Tufts Finance Initiative, and a double Jumbo – BS in Mechanical Engineering, and MS in Engineering Management from The Gordon Institute. Before coming back to Tufts for the 3^rd time, Chris started his career in the software industry, and most recently built his own financial services business, while simultaneously building and leading teams in the financial industry. 

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Age of Social Media: Connecting with Recruiters

Remember the beginning days of social media - when it was claimed to be the future? The rise of Mark Zuckerberg's "The Facebook", friends in high school urging me to get on Twitter, and explaining to my parents why I really needed Facebook. It wasn't too long ago that we were teaching different generations about up and coming social media platforms, and how to connect and engage with people across the Internet. Now, mostly everyone has caught up. Companies and recruiters (and parents) are on social media.

In my Fall Cleaning post last year I covered some tips to ensure your social media presence is blemish free. In this post I want to highlight some ways you can use social media to your advantage in the job and internship search. What's particularly interesting about today's social media is the creative ways that you can not only express yourself, but reach out and connect with other people. Connect with companies and recruiters on a professional account, not a personal account. You don't want to seem creepy (Check out this video by Relationship Science). 

"Remember: don't connect with recruiters unless you've actually had a substantive conversation (in person or via email) with them!"

LinkedIn
This is the main social media professional platform for recruiters to learn about you and for you to learn about them. What I love about LinkedIn, unlike other platforms, is that you can tell who is looking at your page. Many recruiters have Premium accounts which allow them to browse accounts anonymously, leaving you wondering who is looking at your account. Having a LinkedIn presence is one of the more important things you can do to move beyond your conventional resume.  Here are some tips to leverage LinkedIn to connect with companies and recruiters:

• Look at recruiters' profiles
• Research their background, maybe you have a connection with them through their education or work
• They can see you're looking at them, and it's not creepy! It actually shows that you prepared before meeting them
• Follow the company
• Following the company you want to work for is a no-brainer.  It also puts you in the know for what's going on with that company
• Looking at a company's page will help you identify connections through your LinkedIn network. This could help in getting an informational interview with someone who works or worked at the company, and this "someone" could offer you next steps in your job/internship search
• Find the job/internship listing you're applying for
• Locating a job listing on LinkedIn could help you identify the recruiter's contact information, allowing you to address your cover letter to this person and follow up directly.  Too often, there is no name or contact information on job listings that you find on search engines or even on company websites
• Connect with the recruiter
• Only connect with the recruiter after you've had a substantive conversation through email or in person.  Recruiters often have several connections because of the nature of their job, but don't think that just because a recruiter agrees to connect that it's an indication you've got the job. It's only the first step to proving to them that you are a worthy candidate for their company

To keep this list balanced, here are some tips for How NOT to Contact Recruiters on LinkedIn in a great post by the Undercover Recruiter.

Source

Twitter
Twitter is great. To me it's a real indication of where the world is going, as it continues to provide real time updates to billions of people across the world, connecting them through 140 characters (and maybe more). Many people have Twitter handles - some are personal and some professional, so you have to decide where your Twitter account falls. If you decide that your Twitter account is personal, I highly recommend having a private account. If you want to use it to attract recruiters, have a public account so it's easy for them to follow and see your tweets. The Muse's post on 5 Proven Ways to Attract Recruiters is a great source for those looking to leverage tweeting in the job search. Here are some interesting ways to connect:

• Twitter Bio (Personal Branding)
• Make sure your personal brand is clearly communicated in your Twitter Bio. But be sure to mix in some personality
• Professional headshot and backdrop
• Use an "avi" or avatar photo that clearly shows that it's you. This is important so the recruiter can actually tell that it's you
• Follow companies and influencers
• Twitter is a great place to be in the know, especially in fields that pertain to your interests. Follow influencers, businesses, and news handles that cover your field of interest. This can reinforce to recruiters how much you want to work in that industry
• Keep it clean!
• This goes without saying, no one wants a cursing maniac in their office. Twitter is a great place for recruiters to find your voice, and also a further indicator of character when you're not in front of the recruiter directly. So remember to be professional in every tweet.
• Also make sure you're using proper grammar, for the most part! Abbreviations are welcomed on Twitter, if they are clear.
• Watch out for retweets
• Retweets are great, especially for sharing articles about topics that you think are important. However, you can get into trouble if you retweet someone who isn't professional or who tweets information that isn't factual
• If you want to be super safe, leave space in your bio that says Retweet ≠ Endorsements so you're clear to the world. Check out Mashable's perspective on retweeting!
• Mention people you've met!
• After I meet someone at an info session or talk, I mention them on Twitter. It's a great way to follow up if it was a large session or you want to reveal the events you've attended without just frankly stating it
• It may also encourage that person to follow you or retweet you, which would give you even more page views

Each social media platform is it's own animal, but what remains constant is what I call the classy rule. If you're unsure whether something is inappropriate or unprofessional, ask yourself if you'd mind your grandmother reading it. It is a surefire way to determine the class of your post.  Keep tweeting and connecting online!  Hope everyone is enjoying fall!

Carpe Diem,

Nicole Brooks

Class of 2016

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It's Never Too Late: Summer 2015

I enjoyed my long Patriot's Day/Marathon Monday weekend, spent staring longingly out the window while I study for my 3 exams this week… and the 2 after that… and paper and exam the week after that. But do you know what happens the week after the week after the week after next week? Summer break!

You know it's about to get real when there's a throwback to HSM.

By now, you hopefully have your summer plans figured out, whether it’s a part-time job back home, classes on campus or online, an internship, or any combination of the three! I’m finalizing my summer plans now, but I think I’ll wait until next week for that great reveal (which I’m sure you are all eagerly anticipating).

In the meantime, though, I’d like to talk to all the procrastinators in the room. Hey, guys. It’s me again. Sorry I couldn’t make it to the last meeting, but I was being productive and didn’t want to feel out of place. Also, I was the one who broke the coffee machine. If you’re still not sure what you’re doing this summer, that’s ok. You’re not alone. Now, I’m not going to lie you – most internship deadlines have passed, and most summer positions have been filled by now.  If you want to gain some experience in your field, there are still ways for you to do that. Below are my suggestions for finding that last-minute summer opportunity.

Don’t stop looking. JumboJobs updates almost every day, and every company is on their own timeline. There is always a chance that you’ll get lucky and find a job or internship through diligent checking. Although it’s not very proactive, this is a good strategy to employ.

Network, network, network. At this stage in the game, you’ll have the best luck asking as many people as you can if they know of any positions available. Email a professor (even if you haven’t taken a class with them before) and ask them if they have availability on any of their research projects or know someone who does. Ask past employers, friends, or family members if they’ve heard anything around the water cooler. You can even do the legwork on your own – like I’ve mentioned time and again, my internship last summer was the result of a shot-in-the-dark email to my dog’s veterinary clinic, and it worked out perfectly. The worst that could happen is that someone says no – and they still might forward your name/resume along to one of their colleagues/friends. Remember to check out the Career Center’s guide to networking if you need to brush up!

Shake off the networking fears and put yourself out there, April.

Take whatever you can get. If you’ve waited this long, the opportunities may be few and far between. Full-time internships are probably not going to pop up out of the blue unless they don’t start until later in the summer, and you might be similarly hard-pressed to find a paid position. If all you can find is small-time volunteering, shadowing, or administrative jobs, don’t think that you are below these roles – in fact, you’re at the very bottom as an intern anyway. In a recent sample of American CFOs, 46% said that they felt that millennials were too entitled (read here for more about millennials in the workforce) – try to challenge these stereotypes. These positions could start out small, but they may lead to something more – remember my post on volunteering to gain job experience, and the story of the UCO student who began as a nursing volunteer and ended up with a job? Things like this happen more often than you’d think!

Learn from this experience, and be more proactive next year. Although this won’t help you find an internship in the next three weeks, it’s an important point to bring up. If you’ve found that you keep missing deadlines or can’t find anything that interests you, use these realizations for growth instead of self-deprecation. Think about how much you’ve learned from being let down, and channel that disappointment into new vigor for the following summer or even during the upcoming fall and spring semesters. It’s never too early to start looking for summer internships during the year, and now you know what you really want out of an internship and when to start thinking about applying and starting your search. Having a fancy ~internship~ every single summer is not what gets you a job, but you do need at least a few experiences to prove your skills and accomplishments to future employers.

To sum it up into one phrase, don’t give up hope! You may feel like everyone around you is doing big things or landing all the internships in the entire world, but they’re just as confused as you are, although maybe a bit more eager. Use the last few weeks of the year to have fun, study hard, and plan ahead. Just think of how close we are to four months free of classes, homework, and tests (although hopefully filled with working hours!).

Until next time,

Sean Boyden

Class of 2017

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Networking + Personality | Part 2 - The Extrovert Advantage

Hello again!

Last week, I wrote a post about how introverts can use their unique traits to excel in networking. It would be unfair of me to leave it at that, though. After all, networking falls at least a little more comfortably into the realm of extroversion. This article will offer some tips.

As a disclaimer: I'm just about as introverted as you can get, so I can't speak from personal experience here. To make up for that, I asked a few of my extroverted friends to tell me about their feelings on networking. The following is informed by their opinions (thanks friends!). I also referred to articles like this one, which is worth checking out.

Of course, keep in mind that no two extroverts are the same - just as no two people are the same. These tips may not apply to everyone, but hopefully they can shed some light.

Applicable to networking, and life.
Source

You're a natural at meeting new people. Since your energy comes from socializing, you can use your people skills to draw others in and start making connections. Friendliness can go a very long way when it comes to networking. You have an advantage in comparison to introverts, who might have more trouble "turning it on" when they need to. Being approachable makes meeting new people that much easier. As an extrovert, use this to your benefit - attend networking events whenever you can and connect away!

You have more energy for socializing. Since extroverts derive their energy from people and experiences, they are generally able to spend more time socializing than introverts. An extrovert might find that networking is actually kind of fun once you meet someone interesting. Just let your natural energy guide you. If you're talking to someone and there isn't a "spark", don't feel bad about politely excusing yourself to focus energy on someone else. If you're strongly extroverted, you'll probably have a lot more time to mingle than the introverts anyway, who might opt to leave events early.

You're great at conversation. If you find yourself at an event where there are a lot of potential connections to be made, being able to start a good conversation is key. Nothing is worse than trying to talk to someone you're interested in and watching the conversation die, trailing off awkwardly. While most introverts have trouble with small talk, extroverts are usually more comfortable coming up with things to talk about on the fly.

Remember to pull your talking ring!
Source

Despite the advantages extroverts might have, it's important to remember that:

Being an extrovert doesn't mean networking is easy. According to my extrovert (and ambivert) friends, normal socializing and networking are two very different things. When I asked if they enjoyed networking, the general consensus was that it wasn't fun. With the constant pressure of trying to further your career development, some extroverts feel like networking is disingenuous and awkward.

I think that feeling stems from the misconception that networking is all about putting up a front. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Networking, at its core, is just about getting to know new people - something I'm sure extroverts usually enjoy. It doesn't have to be about walking up to someone and giving your 30 second spiel (though it is sometimes). It can also be more simple and totally natural. Think about it this way: if you go to a professor's office hours and talk about potential internships - that's networking!

One warning for extroverts.  Sometimes, extroverts speak without thinking first, and that's where introverts and extroverts differ.  Be careful in those instances where you find yourself really excited and needing to get your "air time".   In situations where it matters, like networking, you may want to train yourself to think about what you want to say before you say it.

At the end of the day, networking is about broadening your horizons. Whether you're the life of the party or a wallflower, networking doesn't have to be scary or overwhelming. It's not as high pressure as you might think.

Remember: the Career Center is always available to help you! Just give them a call at 617-627-3299 or come in for drop-in hours!


Signing off,

Kelly F. Vieira
Class of 2015

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