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4 Tips for Surviving Your First Week of Fall Semester

Aaaaand we’re back! Welcome to fall semester 2017! We hope you had a fun-filled, relaxing, productive summer. Here are a few tips for getting through your first week.

Plan

Figuring out where your class is, hugging friends you have not seen since May, and making sure to wake up on time on Wednesday is a lot to do. So, plan ahead as much as you can. Remember to check your email for any classroom changes. Text your friends to meet up for an early breakfast on Wednesday, that way you can all walk to class together and be on time.

Rest

This week will be filled with excitement! You may feel overwhelmed by how much there is to do. Try your best to go to bed early or take a nap while your roommate is at class.

Eat

You know you missed _______ (insert your favorite Kimball’s food here). Enjoy! For you first year’s, go ahead and have cereal three times a day, we won’t tell.

Smile

We are excited you are all back on campus! We look forward to seeing familiar smiles and meeting new students at the Career Kickoff (Hoval) on Wednesday. Stop by for a snack and enter the raffle to win a giftcard to the bookstore.
Enjoy your first week!
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ALUMNI INTERVIEW: I Was a History Major, Now I am Senior Manager of Enterprise Support

Meet John Vatalaro ’13, Sr. Manager of Enterprise Support at Yext.

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

I oversee the technical support and training provided to some of Yext’s largest and most strategic enterprise customers and their franchisees.

What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

I found Yext through a one of my Holy Cross roommate’s cousins.  A little networking over drinks got me connected with her friend who worked at Yext.  After a few emails, I was on site for an interview and it was a perfect match right away.  It was the summer after graduation and I had only recently been exploring a possible career in tech, mostly focused around customer service, and this role was a really great fit at a small and exciting company.  Joining a ~200 person venture-funded start-up in NYC was certainly not what I was expecting after graduation, but I just couldn’t turn away from the people, the perks, the company’s mission, and the product.  After joining, I quickly realized it was a place I could learn, grow, and excel quickly with incredibly talented people (including some other HC alumni!) so it was a great environment for me.

What were you involved in when you were on campus?

Outside of classes, Men’s Varsity Swimming and my part-time job as a Kimball Captain took up most of my time but I was also involved in Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Varsity Club, HC Goes Unified, College Advisory Board on Alcohol, House Council, and Inter-House Council.

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I majored in history and minored in art history.  They originally drove me to want to pursue a career in the arts, but later I realized my love of history and art history was more just a passion for learning, understanding people, and recognizing patterns, regardless of the subject matter.  This allowed me to move into tech, where I had the opportunity to apply those skills to become a product and process expert.  As a result, I put myself in a spot to share that knowledge and empower others, whether customers or teammates, to succeed.  Since then, I’ve leaned heavily on my liberal arts education to help me understand varied aspects of our business simply because I understand how to analyze a situation, think through problems, and see the big picture.

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

How to work with others: Being on the swim team, working in the dining hall, living with new friends, and collaborating on schoolwork with others provided me plenty of opportunities to develop the invaluable social and communication skills that helped mold me into the person I am today. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you can’t get along with others or speak up about your opinion you won’t get very far.

How to give a damn: Really dive into something you care about.  This will help you apply that same passion and drive towards your job/career.  In school,  maybe it’s a passion for competition, learning, helping others, solving problems, or being funny – whatever it is, find it!  When hiring for my teams, I’m always looking for someone who gives a damn about their work or their passions over someone who appears qualified on paper.

What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Take the classes and do the activities that you actually get enjoyment out of.  If there’s anything I’ve learned in school or in my career, it’s that you do your best work when you’re challenged by something you enjoy.  So find that class, find that extracurricular, and find a job that brings your joy.  The grades, success, the “right job”, and even money will fall into place if you focus on that.
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Meet CrusaderIntern Rosemary Weiss ’18

Meet Rosemary Weiss ’18 Development Intern at Hot Snakes Media

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

I worked on the research and development of a documentary series.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I study Theatre at Holy Cross, and act and work on the technical side of production. I have learned that you have to work hard, be adaptable, and always keep in mind the end goal–the production.

What has surprised you about being an intern?

How immersed I am in the production of this TV series.

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

I have always wanted to work creatively and in the entertainment industry–either writing, acting, or producing, theatre, TV, or film. This internship has put me in the center of it all and prepared me to go forward in my career.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Give it your all, do not be afraid to share your ideas, and be ready to learn from the pros.
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Alumni Job Shadowing Experience in the Legal Department at Circle

Alexandra Curtin ’19 shadowed Noah Spaulding ’02 at Circle this summer. He works in their Legal Department as a Legal Director.

Describe your shadowing visit:

Within seconds upon arriving, Noah greeted me with some (very yummy) doughnuts. He introduced me to all of his very friendly coworkers and then we went into a conference room to discuss the plan for the day. He also told me more about Circle and his journey to the company. Next, I met Noah’s two attorneys, Saige and Christina, in their meeting about the legal contracts for Circle’s ambassador program in the U.K. While Noah was in his next meeting, Christina and I went over each provision in a draft of a Non-Disclosure Agreement. She then took me to lunch across the street because Noah’s meeting went on longer than expected. We finished going over the NDA after lunch. I also met and spoke with Cherie, Circle’s director of compliance in North America. I accompanied Cherie, Noah, and Saige to their meeting about forms for potential investors of Circle. Finally, Noah gave me a Circle t-shirt and took a picture with me!

Do your skills, interests and values align with your shadowing experience (industry of interest)?

Yes, I have always been interested in law so it was interesting to shadow a legal director. Additionally, my International Studies major and proficiency in French align with how Circle is an international company with numerous locations around the world.

Based on this experience are there any skills that you need to develop? If so, what are they and how do you plan to do so?

I definitely need to become more familiar with legal and financial terms. I plan to do so by taking more Economics classes and going to law school.

How has this experience changed or reinforced your career goals?

This experience has definitely reaffirmed my interest in going to law school and pursuing a career on an international level. It showed me the amazing various opportunities provided by a law degree. My experience at Circle also demonstrated how increasingly connected the world is becoming through technology.

Based on this experience what is next in your career plans?

I plan on talking to my advisor about the Pre-Law program and starting to study for the LSATs!

Would you recommend your shadowing visit to other students? Make sure to explain why or why not?

Yes, I would definitely recommend my shadowing visit at Circle to my classmates! Noah was a very welcoming and accommodating host. He and his colleagues took time out of their day to make sure that I learned a lot about the company and how it operates.
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Meet CrusaderIntern Sahra Hassan ’19

Meet Sahra Hassan ’19 Intern at Central West Justice Center.

Tell us about where you are interning and the kind of work you are doing.

My day to day work involves reviewing client documents and figuring out why the client’s benefits (either Food stamps, SSI, or EAEDC) have been reduced, cut or terminated. My long term projects include writing a commercial script about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps) to the purpose of educating the public about the importance of SNAP, who is eligible, and de- stigmatizing it. The other project involves writing a benefits booklet about TAFDC, EAEDC, and SNAP.

Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

I have utilized my writing skills a lot. I often write statements to clients and the Department of Transitional Assistance (administers food stamp program).

What has surprised you about being an intern?

I was surprised at how quickly I was able to follow and understand legal terms and documents.

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

This internship made me realize that law school is not for me; however, I appreciate the experience I had at Central West. I now know that I am more passionate about humanitarianism than legal work.

Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

Do yourself a favor and do an internship that is fulfilling and makes a good experience and not one that just looks good on your resume.
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ALUMNI INTERVIEW: I Was an Economics Major, Now I Oversee Tennis Channel’s TV & Digital Businesses

Meet Tom Wilhelm ’11, Sr. Manager, Programming & Acquisitions at Tennis Channel.

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

I currently oversee Tennis Channel’s TV and digital businesses which includes managing relationships with tennis partners, negotiating broadcast rights agreements and establishing efficient broadcast schedules across TV and Digital.

What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

For the first three years at Holy Cross, I was on track for a career in the financial services. I had internships at the New York Stock Exchange and Merrill Lynch. And although I enjoyed my time at these places, I knew there was something out there that I would enjoy a little more. I quickly realized that I wanted to incorporate my passion of sports into a career. As an extracurricular activity at Holy Cross, I assisted the Holy Cross Athletics Department with its business needs. And although I had only viewed this experience as an extracurricular one at first, I actually loved the work that I did. When I arrived on campus for my senior year, I constantly networked with the Holy Cross community. Additionally, I made weekly trips to ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. I connected with a lot of people, which included alumni from Holy Cross. And as graduation approached, I was hired by ESPN. Following graduation, I worked in television programming at ESPN for nearly six years. I was even lucky enough to work under a fellow alumnus (Burke Magnus ‘88) during this time.

What were you involved in when you were on campus?

When folks arrive on campus, they quickly become involved in extracurricular activities. Although I was very impressed with what Holy Cross had to offer, I wanted to be involved in something that differed from those of my classmates. When I was not on the soccer field, I worked in the Holy Cross Athletics Department for the entirety of my undergraduate studies. And, this “extracurricular” activity actually propelled the start of my career. If you see Crusader Vision on goholycross.com, I was actually the first student to moderate those videos and interview series. I was also involved in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was an economics major at Holy Cross. Like many students, I had no idea what I wanted to do career-wise when I entered college. An economics degree was very helpful for the development of my career. I used the degree to sharpen the business skills that I accrued over the years in the sports media industry. I truly believe an economics degree at Holy Cross sets up students well for whichever career direction that they so choose to take.

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

A skill that has certainly helped my career development is the ability to network. Sports is a very niche type of career. It is a career that is very difficult to break in, and it requires a strong commitment to make connections. At Holy Cross, I worked relentlessly to network with people in the sports and entertainment industry. I connected with Holy Cross alumni, and those connections led to more connections. And, those connections led to even more. And, I hold my current position at Tennis Channel via the connections I made during my time at ESPN. The ability to network efficiently certainly started during my time at Holy Cross.

What advice do you have for students on campus today?

The advice that I stress to everyone who comes to me for career advice is “Find a career you love, and you never work another day in your life.” I was fortunate to find the ideal career for me at a young age, and I have never looked back. Stay true to yourself, and good things will come about.
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ALUMNI INTERVIEW: I was a Economics Major, Now I Work for Edward Jones Investments

Meet Joe Curran ‘12, Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

Helping families create and monitor a comprehensive financial plan.

What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

I learned that Edward Jones consistently gets very, very high rankings for training and employee satisfaction in the financial services industry and otherwise through family connections and community contacts.  As a recent college graduate I wanted to make sure that I was working with a company that had a track record of great training and employee satisfaction so that I had the highest probability chance for success in my career, as well as a career that offered me a work life balance that I could appreciate.  It was a good fit because I knew it was a career that allowed me the opportunity to balance my passion for finance with my passion for people.  It was a career that offered me the chance to help people in my community that needed guidance and I found that very attractive/rewarding. 

What were you involved in when you were on campus?

I was a four year member of the Varsity Soccer Program and participated in Holy Cross Goes Unified, as well as various Big Brother Big Sister events/community outreach events. 

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was an Economics Major which had an influence on my career path. But, I do not think that it is a requirement or necessity to have a finance/economic based major in order to flourish as a financial advisor in particular if your firm has great training.

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

People skills and dedication/hard work.  Holy Cross is a school that challenges you and expects results.  The expectations apply in the work world.  People skills are critical. I expanded as a person and was able to integrate with many people I wouldn’t have had I not chosen to attend Holy Cross.

What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Explore different fields and reach out to others/alumni to see who you can connect with prior to your graduation.  Learn about the ins and outs of each “job description”, not just what it says on the website.  Find a career that you have some sort of passion for and the rest will take care of itself.