It’s beginning to be that time of year when seniors are buzzing about jobs after graduation. Some lucky seniors are already on their way to success after May 17^th, and a lot of credit can go to the Office of Career Services for making that happen.

The Office of Career Services is constantly relaying job opportunities to students via email and ACES, the Anselmian Career and Employer System. In October they announced an opportunity for seniors to apply to be a Sales Representative at Cigna Healthcare.

Brittany Barrett, ’14, a business major from South Boston, MA and Jason Busfield, ’14, a communication major from Hampton, NH, both took advantage of the opportunity to apply to Cigna Healthcare through the OCS and ACES and have been offered second interviews in Tampa, Florida in January.

“[Career Services] helped me apply for a job with Cigna as a Sales Representative, and guided me through the job application process as well as the interview process,” explained Barrett.

“I would first recommend that students go to the office and get to know the staff because they truly are here to help us in any way possible,” she continued.

Busfield can also attest to the fact that OCS is always around to help guide students in the right direction.

“For me the most helpful part was the interview prep sheet that Sarah [Mockler] sent me before my on-campus interview with the Cigna recruiter,” he explained.

The salaried position also includes a ten-week training program at Cigna’s Sales Academy. Tessa Vercollone, a 2012 graduate of St. Anselm, currently works as a Client Manager with Cigna. She began her career with the company through the industry-leading Sales Academy Program.

“This program equips new sales professionals with the knowledge and resources that will enable them to help their clients with their employee benefits needs,” explained Vercollone.

With the unwavering support of Career Services, many more students are hopeful when looking towards the future of opportunities awaiting them after graduation.

Christina Dooley, ’14, an accounting major from Pittsfield, MA, accepted a full time position for O’Connor and Drew, an accounting firm in Braintree, MA that visited St. A’s for an information session earlier in the semester. Without the help and confidence boost from Career Services, this opportunity would not be a reality for Dooley.

“[Career Services] was there for me every single step of the way – from helping me to fine tune my resume, to highlighting my best qualities and working with me in mock interviews,” Dooley explained. “Once [Career Services] found out that I earned a second interview, they sent even more well wishes and offered lots of last minute advice to help me feel confident,” she continued.

“I think students need to be proactive early and utilize a resource on campus that can offer so many opportunities and experiences,” said Barrett as advice for future students.

“The sooner seniors start the process of preparing for graduation and the job search, the more competitive they will be when commencement rolls around.  Taking the time to explore opportunities and meet with employers in a variety of settings helps students to identify jobs that match their interests while gaining confidence in their marketability,” said Sam Allen, Director of Career Services.

98% of 2012 graduates are employed, in school, or engaged in service. With the support of Career Services, the class of 2014 is on its way to matching that impressive statistic upon graduation.