Month: April 2016

Name: Colleen Naber

Class Year: 2018

Major: Political Science

Shadowing Visit Site:  Natixis Asset Management (Tracy Fagan Duffy ‘84)

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

During my visit, I met with my alum as well as other notable HC alumni at Natixis. When I arrived, I first had an informational interview with my alumnus. She asked me to tell her about myself and what I’d hoped to gain from my visit. I then had the opportunity to meet with the CFO, who was also a Holy Cross graduate. I also had the chance to meet with the in-house counsel as I had expressed an interest in going to law school eventually. Lastly, I got to attend the Women’s Leadership Conference. I was very grateful for the opportunity as I was able to solidify my interest in finance. I also got the opportunity to network with experienced financial professionals who gave me meaningful career advice and provided me with important insights into the world of Asset Management.    

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

I am interested in the field of finance, so this experience connected to my future career goals, because I was able to see the typical day in a job in the financial sector. Furthermore, it allowed me to see the types of people I would want to work with. These people were passionate and cared about one another. They laughed when in meetings, but were serious when they wanted to me. They made me feel welcome and a part of the company even when I was just a shadow.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

The best advice I received was to always be willing to do the grunt work. She said that while working her way up the ranks she was always the first person to offer to do the photocopying or grab her boss a coffee. This made her appear indispensable and willing to do anything for her job, which she explained is what she looks for during the hiring process now.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

The Alumni Job Shadowing Program  exposes students to a variety of career choices, so in just one day you can narrow down your career interests. Furthermore, it allows for the opportunity to network, so when applying for jobs and internships you already have exposure to the company and a friendly face to advocate on your behalf (assuming you made a good impression on your alumni)!

Name: Delaney Fell

Class Year: 2016

Major: Psychology

Shadowing Visit Site: Burson-Marsteller

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

I spent a very busy and interesting day at Burson-Marsteller.   I was able to tour the entire office.  Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to sit in on several meetings with my alumni host.  Through these meetings, I was able to experience daily life at the company.  My alumni host also arranged for me to sit down with several of her colleagues.  These colleagues came from different departments and had different duties, giving me a good idea of the many roles available in the company.     

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

I had always thought of PR to be an interesting and exciting career choice.  However, I based this off a rather abstract idea of what I believed PR entailed.  As a result of my day at Burson- Marsteller, I now have a concrete understanding of the world of PR.  I am now seriously considering PR as a career goal.  

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

My alumni host was remarkably encouraging.  She assured me that with hard work and quality communication skills, one can succeed.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

I would definitely recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to a student from any year.  Through this program, students receive a firsthand look into an industry of interest as well as the valuable advice of Holy Cross alumni.  

Name: Bridget Collins

Class Year: 2019

Major: Undeclared

Shadowing Visit Site:  Milford GI Associates

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

I shadowed Dr. Daniel Donahue, a gastroenterologist at Milford Regional Medical Center, both in his office and at the hospital. In his office he briefed me on his schedule and how he went about interviewing his patients. He briefed me on each patient whom he was to meet with and I was allowed to observe the patient interviews. After meeting with about twelve patients we went over to the hospital where I was allowed to view some procedures. I watched as Dr. Donahue performed two colonoscopies and an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or ERCP. This procedure was done in the operating room and I had to put on scrubs to observe.

I really enjoyed this experience and I was happy to be able to observe both in the clinical and the hospital settings.  

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

This experience reaffirmed my plan to become a physician as I could really see myself in the role. I also really enjoyed the dual nature of Dr. Donahue’s specialty because I enjoyed splitting the time between clinical and procedure based practice.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

Dr. Donahue shared some advice that he learned in medical training. He said that sometimes as a practitioner you have to stand in awe of your patient’s pain. Because if you view patients as problems to be solved and you do all you can it is easy to get frustrated when the patient isn’t responding as you want them to, but sometimes the best way to comfort someone in that position is to accept their pain and empathize with them.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

I would recommend the program to others because you get the opportunity to see what a real day is like and you come out with a better understanding of the job and a better idea if you can see yourself doing that every day.

You get the email or call you’ve been waiting for. You got an interview! Now what?!

For many students the request for an interview can invoke both excitement and stress. This may be your first time in a professional interview setting. Have no fear! The Center for Career Development is here to help!

Follow these key tips when preparing for an interview:

• Do your research! You must be prepared to articulate why you are interested in the industry, company, and role. In order to do that effectively, you should research as much as you can ahead of time. Spend time on the company’s website, look for articles / press releases on the organization, reach out to prior interns to talk to them about their experience. Gather as much information as you can so you’re able to demonstrate your knowledge of who they are, what they do and why you want to be a part of it.
• Prepare your elevator pitch. Many times an employer’s first question may be “Tell me about yourself.” You need to have that answer ready to go. Tailor your response to your audience. What would that particular employer be most interested in hearing about? Discuss your background, experience, skills and why this role is the next natural step for you. The Center for Career Development can help you craft your elevator pitch. Stop in during drop ins or schedule an appointment.
• Prepare and practice examples to highlight your skills. Take a critical look at the job / internship posting. What skills / abilities do they seem to be looking for? Then, identify examples from past experiences that demonstrate you possess those skills / abilities. Draw on all experiences! Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your examples.
• Practice, Practice, Practice! Interviewing is a skill. The more practice the better! Use the Center for Career Development to help you prepare so you can wow those employers! We offer interview prep strategy sessions and mock interviews.

Our Interviewing Skills handout will provide more details and sample interview questions that you can use as you prepare. As soon as you get that phone call / email, reach out to the Center for Career Development to schedule a mock interview or interview prep session. We can be reached at 508-793-3880 or careers@holycross.edu.

Interviewing doesn’t have to be stressful or scary….if you’re prepared!!

 

Written by Julie Draczynski

Associate Director, Center for Career Development

Name: Khorally Pierre 

Class Year: 2017

Major: English/Spanish Pre-Law

Shadowing Visit Site:  O’Neil & Hauser PC

Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?

My visit was surprisingly life changing. Not only did I learn the variety of documents that lawyers potentially use on a daily basis when preparing for cases, but I also learned more than ever that practicing law is my calling and should be used to become a woman for others.

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

After returning to campus from abroad, I began to doubt whether or not I wanted to pursue a law degree. But the experience made me realize more than ever that this is the kind of work I would like to do in the future. The level of hard work it takes to become a lawyer was reinforced, but as I observed how the firm works to help those in need, I realized that I was once a client to an immigration law firm and would like to further advance my studies in order to help those that are potentially like me.  Even though my host had not had her mind set on going to law school at my age, she told me that it was one of the best decisions she had ever made and had grown in abundance because of it: both in her private and professional life.

What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

My host advised me to not be afraid to follow my heart throughout my journey in law school. She told me that there are a variety of things that lawyers end up doing. This gave me hope that having a law degree will not necessarily mean that I will be sitting behind a desk for the rest of my life.

Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?

I most definitely would. It has opened my eyes to the industry and has given me a strong motivation to pursue my dream of studying the law.