Month: October 2015

Full Name: Nicholas Matthews

Internship Company: LUMA Partners

Internship Position: Investment Banking Summer Analyst

Internship Location: New York, NY

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?  

During my search I utilized a wide range of services offered by the Center for Career Development. After my admittance to SIP, I frequented the drop in hours to have my resume and cover letter reviewed. In addition, I made several special appointments to talk about networking and interview advice. Once I landed an interview for various positions, I schedule a mock interview, something I would highly recommend, to help me prepare present my skills and experience in a favorable way to employers.

 

Are you involved in any of the COES clubs and/or programs? If yes, how did they help prepare you for your internship?

I have been involved in a number of COES clubs and programs. My freshman year I joined the Finance Club, which provided me exposure to financial markets and concepts, and served as the basis for my knowledge going forward. I also participated in the Summer Business Program, Excel Workshop, and Future steps workshop, all of which were instrumental in my securing an internship and granted me useful skills once I had begun my internship.

 

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?

As my first true foray into the finance industry, LUMA Partners was incredibly beneficial and very instructive. Firstly, I gained experience with valuation techniques and financial modeling that is widely applicable in the industry, and can be leveraged into many different positions. Furthermore, LUMA Partners afforded me a unique perspective into the digital media industry, and through various analytical research projects, I learned how to evaluate business trends and forecast potential events that might occur in the future. In addition to these technical skills, working in a fast paced and complex environment helped me put into practice the learning skills Holy Cross teaches its students so well, and from this environment I learned the various skills necessary to perform at a professional level.

 

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

One very beneficial aspect of my experience was my proximity to New York City, and the opportunity that gave me to network with the many Holy Cross alumni in the area. I was fortunate that I was able to meet with several of them, and learn from their own experiences after Holy Cross. The process of building my network both at LUMA Partners and outside it really helped me to determine which direction I would want to explore next in my career. No matter where you end up as an intern, I would highly recommend networking, as I consider it the best way to determine your next career move.

 

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

To a future intern at LUMA Partners, I would have two pieces of advice. Number one, come in with a curious mind, and be ready to absorb a lot of new information. The alumni and staff at LUMA are extremely knowledgeable in their field, and if you constantly ask questions and work hard to learn the information they teach you, you will certainly get a lot out of the experience. Secondly, there undoubtedly be a learning curve, but don’t be intimidated if you start your experience and don’t really understand what’s going on. There is a lot of new jargon, related to both finance and digital media, but Holy Cross has prepared you well for dealing with large amounts of new information. As long as you reach out for help as you need it, and remember the skills learned in school, you will become acclimated to the language.

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship? 

The most exciting part of the internship for me was the ability to sit in on business meetings. Getting up close and personal to the interactions with the clients, or watching a presentation or sales pitch was intriguing for me and gave me a sense not only for LUMA’s business, but how business was conducted in general. This unique experience exposed me to a lot of interesting people and stories.

Name: Chris Campbell

Graduation Year: 2015

Major: Religious Studies

Industry: University of Vermont, Higher Education and Student Affairs

Favorite Class: Faith and World Poverty

Campus Involvement: Residence Life and Housing (HRA and RA), Gateways Orientation Leader, Director of Diversity and Class Senator for Student Government Association (SGA), Co-Chair/First Year Apprentice for Caribbean African Student Assemblage (CASA), Diversity Leadership Team, Peer Mentor for the Academic Services Center, and Magis.

College Internship/Work Experience: Hogan Campus Center- Building Supervisor, Office of Advancement Services, and Summer Intern for  the Student Government Association.

What were some of the most defining events/opportunities/aspects of your time at Holy Cross?Maymester in Paris, NJSLC at Santa Clara University and Boston College and El Salvador Immersion Trip

What is one thing someone should be certain to do before they graduate? Study abroad and participate in an immersion trip.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field? Embrace the ambiguity.

What skills have you found most useful in your professional life that you attribute from learning at Holy Cross?

• Awareness of cultural diversity and other’s viewpoints
• Empathy for others
• Problem solving
• Ask thought-provoking questions and think critically and analytically
• Adapt to change
• Ability to work cooperatively with others and communicate effectively

What is the most important advice you could give a student on obtaining an internship or a job?Do not underestimate the use of social media because internships can be found through online networking. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram are all excellent resources for finding an internship and building your professional network. You can use hashtags or simple visit some of the accounts that post internships within your desired field.

Stand Out in Your Non-Profit Careers Conference Application

Non-profit organizations strive to make a positive impact in the world.  The non-profit sector is growing and includes a very wide range of causes.  Students interested in helping others, improving communities, and contributing to the common good of society often share values with non-profit organizations and find fulfillment in their daily work.  Ready to find out if the non-profit sector aligns with your skills, interests, and values? If you are unsure or think the non-profit sector could be for you, apply to the Non-Profit Careers Conference.

The Non-Profit Careers Conference is a week long program held at the end of winter break and is designed for students considering a career in the non-profit sector.  Applications are due at 11:59 PM on Sunday November 1. Thoughtfully written and well organized application materials really stand out and will influence the selection process.

A well organized one page resume is required. Never written a resume before? No problem!  Visit the Center for Career Development to get started.  Drop-In hours are Monday-Friday from 1-4 PM and Wednesday from 10 AM – 12 PM.  You can find the Resume Guide on the Career Development website.  If you already have a resume, stop by for a quick update.  The Conference seeks to bring students together with diverse and interesting backgrounds.  Be sure your resume highlights your most important experiences including academics, extra-curricular/leadership involvement, service, athletics, work experience, and any other experiences that are significant.

Use the essay to tell a story about yourself.  Reflect on an experience, explaining why it was significant for you and why it motivated you to apply to the Conference.  Sincerity is key.  It is also important to explain what you hope to gain from the conference. Avoid summarizing your resume.  The essay is a place to elaborate and expand upon an experience listed on your resume.

The non-profit sector is very versatile, exciting, and meaningful.  The Non-Profit Careers Conference can help you find ways to make your positive impact.

(Written by Megan Chester)

Full Name: Christopher R. Morgan

Graduation Year: 2016

Internship Company: Ocean Spray Cranberries

Internship Position: Research Analyst

Internship Location: Lakeville, MA

While looking for your internship, what services did you use at the Center for Career Development?

I went to the Center for Career Development to prepare for my interview and they edited my resume before applying for the job.

What skills did you gain from your internship experience and how have they added to your professionalism?
The internship experience allowed for me to gain industry experience and add to my ability to market myself. During the past summer, there were 16 other interns at Ocean Spray. Even though there were no more than 2-3 of us in each department, making a positive impact and being able to market myself led to a full time offer for post-graduation.

How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

Significantly. Working with upper management weekly, and being able to connect/work with the CFO, and Vice Presidents of the company allowed for me to significantly expand my network. Also, working with suppliers, my network has grown to companies outside of Ocean Spray.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to the future intern?

Do the little things to set yourself up for success. Employers applaud when you show dedication to work and excitement. With this being said, if you truly don’t like what you do don’t fake it; being genuine goes a long way, especially when you are giving your work 110% of your effort.

Overall, what was your most exciting experience at your internship?
To be completely honest, my internship had many very exciting experiences and to label a single one as #1 doesn’t do justice to my experience. Due to the constraint of the question, I would have to say traveling to Chicago to visit packaging suppliers and co-packers was my most exciting experience of my internship. It is exciting to see the product start from the ground (cranberry bog) and end on the shelf.

Vault.com is a new tool available on the Center for Career Development online resources page. It provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company or profession—and how to position yourself to land that job. Research a company, school or industry, get the inside scoop on what it’s really like, and find the career advice you need to launch your career. Our Center for Career Development interns recently explored Vault.com. Check out what they had to say!

 

Researching Industries & Professions…

One defining feature of Vault is its Industries & Professions tab – here, students can select an industry (with selections from Accounting to Writing and Editing) and read an overview of the industry as a whole, along with other key features about the field. The general overview includes the goals of the industry, a brief history, the impact emerging technology has had on the industry, and the way that profession has recently impacted the economy and vice versa. I have never come across one website that offers so much information about such a wide array of industries! As a student, I would use this feature of Vault to explore industries that interest me, in hopes of better positioning myself as a candidate to future employers.  

Other tabs will walk you through the current state of each industry, offer insight into what it would be like to work in the industry, and provide information to weigh potential pros and cons to better help you consider whether a job in this field is something worth pursuing. At the end, Vault provides an extensive list of resources and associations within each field, along with a short description and contact information for each resource. Once you have reviewed the information available for the industries that interest you, you can narrow your exploration into specific companies within those industries with Vault’s Company Analysis feature.

Researching Companies…

Vault features in-depth company profiling and market analysis to provide a holistic glimpse of a company’s presence in a certain industry. Along with the “Industry and Professions” section discussed above, the “Companies” page is directly accessible from Vault’s homepage. Once you select the “Companies” tab at the top of the home page, you’ll be asked to select from a list of industry and firm categories. This allows someone who may not be as knowledgeable on specific companies to search and find some that they might be interested in based on different credentials. Within each industry tab, Vault includes a variety of “Tops” and “Bests” of companies per certain variables related to that industry. For example, if one were to choose the “Consulting Firms” tab, they would be greeted by lists that rank consulting firms based on their prestige in certain focus areas (like technology advising, defense, strategic consulting, etc.). Additionally, you can also filter by region if you would like to target a specific location.

Hovering over the “Companies” tab also allows you to perform a more focused search for a specific company. If you know the name or some keywords related to the company, you can enter that into the search bar at the top of the page. Moreover, you are able to limit your search by selecting from a list of industries, company size ranges, regions, and publically traded versus privately held. Vault’s attention to detail in the actual company profiles truly sets them apart from other company ranking & review websites. They separate their analysis into the company’s operations, their geographical reach, sales & marketing initiatives, financial performance, strategies (mergers & acquisitions), competitor lists, along with recent company news and publications. Moreover, at the top of each company profile there lies a brief summary of what it’s like to work for them, and the “Uppers” (pros) and “Downers” (cons) employees experience while being there.

I believe that Vault provides substantial information to students; both those just entering the job or internship search, along with those a bit more versed in the subject. Vault’s features within the “Companies” tab makes meandering through different industries and related companies simple. I also really like how each industry has their own unique “Top” lists for different performance markings specific to that industry. This allows for one to learn both about the industry playground as a whole, while also finding the constituent companies that align with his or her interests.

 

Written by Catherine Cote ’18 & Kyle Hughes ’17

 

Before you have the luxury to brainstorm the most creative, unique and timely Halloween costume ever, you probably have a handful of projects and midterms to get through first. In between studying for mid-terms and finding the perfect Donald Trump-coiffed wig, take a look at the worthwhile Career Development events and programs taking place in October:

Upcoming Workshops: This fall we’re offering workshops to help you write a resume, conduct an internship search and better utilize LinkedIn. For a full schedule of October workshops, visit Crusader Connections online or on your mobile device by downloading the Careers by Symplicity app.

Alumni Job Shadow Program (Deadline to apply: October 19): The Alumni Job Shadow Program is a great way to get your foot in the door at an organization… literally! Once admitted to the program, you will be paired with an alumnus in your career field or industry of interest so that you can shadow them at work for a day over winter break. For more information and to apply, search for a program as if you would search for a job/internship in Crusader Connections.

Athlete Alumni Networking Night (Monday, October 26 @7pm in Hogan Suite B/C): The Athlete Alumni Networking Night invites alumni who were student-athletes back on campus to share advice on how their athletic experience influences the work that they do. The night will start with a panel discussion featuring alumni from different sports and career fields. The panel will be followed by an open networking forum where you can speak with a variety of alumni from a range of past sports and current industries. RSVP in Crusader Connections under Events.

Non-Profit Careers Conference (Deadline to apply: November 1): Apply to participate in the Non-Profit Careers Conference, taking place in mid-January, right before classes start for the spring semester. This week-long conference is a great way to gain exposure to the wide variety of opportunities available in the non-profit sector and get your hands dirty working on real-world business problems faced by local non-profit organizations. For more information and to apply, visit the Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning.

Don’t forget to get your resume approved! All students need to have their resume approved before they can apply for jobs or internships in Crusader Connections. Simply stop by the Center for Career Development (Hogan 203) with a hard copy of your resume during drop-ins on Monday-Friday 1-4pm & Wednesday 10am-12pm, and we will help you polish your resume and get it approved.

Never created a resume before? No problem! Stop by the Center for Career Development to pick up a resume handout. This handout provides samples of past Crusaders’ resumes, so you can get a glimpse at how to describe the activities you participate in at Holy Cross.

(Written by Maura Sweeney)