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Situated at 38 Commonwealth Avenue is a building that boasts endless resources, programs, and opportunities for all Boston College students to utilize: the Career Center.
While often under-explored, the Career Center has something to offer every BC student, no matter where they are in their career search process. As Joe Du Pont, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Career Services, asserts: “We know that everyone is unique, and the way that our services are going to speak to [students] is different for everybody.”
The Career Center arms a BC student with their ticket to the world after graduation—a day that comes sooner than many students anticipate. From a student's first days on campus to their last, this place offers endless opportunities.
Broken up by class year, here’s a guide to some of the Career Center’s opportunities in addition to recommended steps for BC students to take.
Freshmen:
The Career Center recommends that freshmen schedule an initial appointment with a peer advising fellow in order to reflect on their skills, interests, and goals. While career plans are not often prevalent in the minds of freshmen, this preliminary meeting allows students to explore the many opportunities that BC has to offer them and to identify some potential career goals.
With the help of a Peer Career Advisor, first year students can prepare a resume, set up a LinkedIn profile, and join EagleLink in order to begin building professional networks.
Aside from meeting with advisors, the Career Center sponsors many events on campus that can be helpful to freshmen. These events kicked off in early September with Careerfest, where students had the opportunity to meet the Career Center team and learn more about the resources the center offers. Freshmen are advised to keep in mind that the Career Center is not just for those who are certain about their future aspirations and plans. It is also intended for those students looking to explore their options.
Sophomores:
With the many adjustments of freshman year out of the way, sophomore year is the time to develop connections and make a plan. If students haven’t already, they should schedule an appointment with an advisor and attend Career Center events, which will allow them to explore career fields that interest them. Sophomore year is a great time to enhance one’s skills and continue building on a network.
The Career Center urges sophomore students to update their resumes with new skills that they have acquired, activities that they have participated in, and leadership roles that they have fulfilled. Second year students should attend career fairs with their resumes in hand to meet professionals in their field (or fields) of interest. Additionally, students should look out for practice interview nights, evenings dedicated to exercising one's interview skills and receiving employer feedback.
The Career Center also offers a three-day career exploration program, Endeavor, to any sophomore pursuing the liberal arts. Endeavor allows these sophomores to reflect on their career interests, explore the many places their degrees can take them, and connect with BC alumni.
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Juniors:
Junior year is the time for students to begin to develop their postgraduate plans while continuing to gain experience and forge connections. Students should anticipate attending Career Center workshops designed to strengthen skills and improve resumes, career fairs at which to meet employers, and information sessions held by specific employers to locate job opportunities.
Juniors can also use the Eagle Intern Fellowship Program to look for unpaid internships. In order to assist juniors (and seniors) in making a concrete plan, the Career Center welcomes them to participate in Launch. Launch is a one-day conference centered around exploring abilities, understanding hiring timelines, and acquiring valuable job-searching skills.
Seniors:
As seniors reach the end of their undergraduate timelines, the Career Center is well-equipped to help them solidify their postgraduate plans and transition into the real world. The Career Center recommends that seniors meet with a career advisor to discuss their plans, and they advise that seniors continue to attend Career Center activities, such as Resume and LinkedIn Night or Practice Interview Night.
If seniors are planning to go directly to graduate school, advisors are available to discuss deadlines and other important aspects of the application process. The Career Center suggests that students be aware of the many resources available to them and stay connected after graduation in order to continue to expand the BC network.
With all that the Career Center offers, Joe Du Pont says that “working with the entire campus community to help students live an abundant, joyful life is at the heart of what we do.”
The Career Center is dedicated to helping BC students pursue what they love through the many resources that they have to offer. Whether a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, 38 Commonwealth Avenue welcomes BC students one and all.
Avid optimist who likes long walks on the beach with a Long Island bagel and iced coffee in hand. As my favorite man Drake once said, "I swear this life is like the sweetest thing I've ever known."
