Welcome Back!

So here we go again. It’s time to trade glowing tan-lines and summer sun for Tufts’ redbrick buildings and freshly mowed lawns. It’s time to stumble down familiar corridors, explore new classes, and nosedive into hefty assignments. And last but not least, it’s time to embark on that daunting yet exciting exploration of our career options—the fuzzy paths we’ll follow after our time here at Tufts, whether we’re ready or not.

But before I overwhelm your sleepy summer brains, let me introduce myself! My name is Cara Paley and I am replacing recent graduate Kathy Seim as your new Tufts Career Services Ambassador, a position through which I use this blog as a handy (and semi-entertaining) means of exploring career-related topics. I am a Tufts junior majoring in both English and History. And, like the probable majority of us, I’m completely baffled when it comes to my own career path—and all impossible-to-avoid career talk for that matter.

But not to fret. This blog—and the career advice, hints, and witticisms that come with it—is not another formalized instruction manual. It’s a mode of student-to-student communication, a familiar guide out of the daunting depths of career chatter and a friendly reminder that it’s not all that bad. And an added bonus: this blog comes complete with my own embarrassing and (hopefully) semi-inspirational stories, the ups and downs of my own frazzled career search. The road is undoubtedly bumpy, riddled with our unique stresses and challenges. But it’s exciting too. And as one entirely perplexed by life outside Tufts’ cozy bubble, I’ll be right on board with you.

But here’s a slight catch. While the majority of students will be reuniting with friends, professors, and (hopefully!) the personable Career Service staff, I’ll be about 3,500 miles away—in the bustling city of Madrid, Spain to be exact. While most of you will be dining in Dewick and dodging dorm bugs, I’ll be devouring paella, exploring discotecas, and babbling Spanglish to hordes of confused natives. And so you might be thinking—how might someone across the Atlantic be of any help? What can I possibly offer?

Well, the answer is clear and simple. While Career Services may seem limited to its physical offices, its resources and guidance span far past Dowling Hall—and Medford for that matter. Instead, whether you’re snowed in downhill or gallivanting through Europe, Career Services’ tremendous online resources are both useful and accessible, no matter your proximity to its hub. Despite the physical mileage, study abroad doesn’t have to signal a complete disconnect from Tufts and its handy student resources. From an 8-hour plane ride away, I promise to remain fully entrenched in the career whirlwind, consistently up-to-date with the office’s latest and greatest. And in the process I’ll offer a certain Spanish dazzle—a “perspectiva original” that comes with exploring life from an entirely new cultural lens.

My guidance from overseas signals another important element of the career search: it’s overarching flexibility. Pinpointing that perfect career isn’t so formalized—a dry “to do” list limited to scribbling cover letters and scheduling appointments. It’s an ever-evolving process, an eclectic mesh of self-starter initiatives, personal experiences, and unexpected twists and turns. Who knows, perhaps your future will be molded by a chance encounter with an old acquaintance, filled with incessant gushes about a life-changing career. Perhaps your career calling will come from attending an out-of-character event, visiting an exotic place, or following an impulsive whim. And, between salsa dancing and language butchering, hopefully I’ll engage in some significant self-discovery, maybe even inch a tad closer to deciphering my own muddled path.

Moral of my rants, discovering our skills and passions—fundamental to successful career exploration—can occur all the time. It’s just about weeding out the hidden significances and placing seemingly immaterial experiences into their much broader context. Career exploration doesn’t have to be all stress and paperwork; it can be exciting and adventurous, possible to happen at any time, any place.

So that’s all my word spitting for now. Good luck to all with this upcoming academic year at Tufts, or—to fellow travelers—whatever exotic place this semester may bring you.

¡Hasta la vista!