This month, also known as Professional Development Month, the Office of Career Services has been hosting numerous events striving to help prepare students for the job world after graduation.
Finding a job after college is proving to be a difficult task, with employers becoming more selective about whom they want to work at their company. However, Saint Anselm students have an advantage with the events held this month, which aim at securing students in achieving the right skills and standing out among prospective employees, making it easier for students to get a job after graduation.
Sam Allen, the director of the Office of Career Services, had more to say about the goals of this prestigious month.
“The goal of the program is to help students become competitive, understand the expectations they will encounter, and be able to practice skills they will need to be more confident.”
He also added that it teaches students about how to apply their liberal arts education.
In addition to hosting such events, some alumni have returned to give feedback about their experiences in job searching and to help students gain the necessary skills.
“The enthusiasm and willingness of alumni to share their experiences has left students having a more competitive mindset with a better understanding of what will be asked of them in future employment opportunities,” says Allen, impressed with the practical aid these alumni have provided.
One of the valuable events concerning the development of being a respectable prospective employee is the Mock Interview program held this week, where alumni from the Boston Beer Company, Morgan-Stanley, and other communication companies visit campus to help students practice professional interview techniques, focusing on how to come across as hardworking and dedicated people.
Despite the competition among other students to get jobs after college, Saint Anselm College students are differentiated from the crowd with their use of networks, especially putting the help of alumni to good use, and gaining a competitive edge. Competitors value experience, says Allen, and students here have plenty of opportunities to gain this necessary involvement towards their future career. Experience has become such a prominent factor that a Master’s degree is not necessarily considered to greatly improve chances of getting a particular job.
In closing, Allen finished with this statement: “You need to make your education happen and not just let it happen. It’s important to develop an academic and experiential plan for yourself, even starting in your freshman year to become a good planner, and also be sure to take advantage of every opportunity available for you to learn new fundamental skills.”