Like most second semester seniors at Conn and at other colleges, I spent much of my winter break thinking about the abyss that is post-graduation. Questions with which most soon-to-be graduates wrestle– should I do this or that, where will I live and how will I manage my finances – are ones over which I stress about often, perhaps too often. So, in early January, when I received an informational email about the Seminar on Success (S.O.S), a day-long event sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement dedicated to engaging juniors and seniors in career-related workshops, panels with Conn alums and networking with those alums, I momentarily jolted into panic. The email was another reminder of all of the aspects of post-graduation on which I cannot quite get a firm grasp. Nevertheless, I registered, and on Saturday, Jan. 30, I sat through two of the three large events the Office planned.
The first session, “Dining with Confidence! A Business Etiquette Lucheon,” took place at 11:00 a.m. in Cro’s Nest. Jean Papalia, Principal of A+ Etiquette and Director of the Tufts Career Center, led this session. According to the program schedule, soon-to-be graduates should know the rules of professional dining because they are “an essential part of our business culture and a blunder can literally cost you a career or a client.” In between four courses, where students ate using the continental style of eating, Papalia guided students through how one should act during a business lunch or dinner. Many of Papalia’s points of advice seemed to be common knowledge for students. For instance, one should not butter a whole roll and then eat it, but rather break off small parts and then add butter. Napkins should rest to the left side of the plate. Diners using silverware should work from the outside of the place setting in.
The second session, “Alumni Talk: Careers to Consider & Practical Advice on the ‘Real World,’” featured four Conn alums working in a variety of fields: Will Levith ’02, a freelance journalist and editor; Allison Rudnick ’09, Assistant Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints and Ph.D. candidate; Nick Sizer ’12, Director of Outdoor Sales at The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG); and Max Sgro ’11, a confidential assistant to the Associate Director for Health Programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in Washington, DC. The panel was moderated by Maurice Tiner ’17.
It was comforting to hear that Conn alums, some who graduated recently, used their liberal arts experience to their advantage when seeking employment. For instance, Sgro and Sizer did not pursue their fields of study—a double major in biology and Italian and a government major with history and philosophy minors, respectively—professionally, but found that their writing capabilities clearly and effectively served them in their job searches.
When Tiner asked about the different paths students often consider—graduate school, a gap year, employment, etc.—panelists collectively said that students could explore whatever avenues that interest them and make them feel comfortable. For instance, Levith, an English major at Conn, spoke about his time teaching English for a year in Spain. During this year, Levith decided to pursue a career writing for music magazines.
All of the panelists spoke on the importance of keeping in touch with one’s family members, even if work and the job search become incredibly stressful. Many of the speakers call their families at least once a week. In addition, they universally believe that one should maintain one’s artistic passions and dreams, even if financial times are difficult. Losing these interests, even if they are only hobbies, can make job searches more emotionally straining.
On the subject of “networking and the introvert,” many speakers stated that all employees, from someone in a top-tier position to another intern, were once in the position of applying for jobs. They also once spent hours writing cover letter after cover letter, interviewing and interviewing and perhaps even getting rejected and rejected. These are experiences that almost everyone must endure, and therefore there exists some sympathy among employers. It may not seem like it by the tenth or twentieth resume sent out, but it does exist. Both introverts and extroverts should network with everyone around them, including professors, former employers, high school and college friends, neighbors, etc. In other words, talk to everyone.
Overall, I found that the first two sessions of the Seminar on Success were somewhat helpful. Because I am more worried about the issues that the speakers raised – finding a place to live, how to navigate different fields and post-grad options and more – I found the second session to be more helpful and informative than the first. That is not to say that the first session was unhelpful. It was, but the prospects of being invited to a business dinner seem less immediate than trying to figure out what I should do in the next few months.
I would encourage Conn students, and any soon-to-be graduates repeatedly asking themselves “what should I do,” “what can I do” and “what will I do,” to take advantage of the sorts of career-focused programs that the Office of Alumni Engagement provide. I have been to several “Sundays with Alumni” talks, and even if I were not necessarily considering a career unrelated to my interests, all of these events have proven to be interesting and worth the time. The information offered during these programs may sound extremely repetitive, stressful and I say this with full respect, even boring. Nevertheless, it does not hurt to take an hour out of a busy day and listen in order to learn something that could prove helpful fifty resumes or interviews down the road. •
