Despite the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hillsdale College Career Services Office is still hosting job fairs and graduate school events.
Career services, which provides students with access to employers, internships, and resources to help build resumes and prepare them for their futures, has gotten creative in this semester’s event lineup. One new addition is Pathways to Professionalism, a two-day in-person workshop focusing on practical ways to succeed in the workplace. The program consists of two three-hour sessions each day addressing tangible ways to prepare for the next internship or job.
The first session ran on Sept.18-19 and was a hit, according to event organizers.
“We had eight students attend and we’re really excited about that,” said Rebecca Galvan, assistant director of Career Services. “It’s a great conversation starter, especially for underclassmen, to think about that internship and how to develop those long-term relationships.”
The next session is scheduled for Oct. 23-24, which will prepare students in time for the graduate school events coming at the end of October and beginning of November.
Prior to the virtual graduate school fair on Nov. 2-6, Career Services is hosting a Bound for Graduate School event to equip students with all of the information and resources they need to be successful in their communications with and applications to graduate school.
Since communication with graduate schools has been online due to the pandemic, Galvan said students have to rely on interviews, resumes, and cover letters more than ever to distinguish themselves from other applicants.
Don Asher, an internationally recognized author and speaker on careers and higher education, spoke at Hillsdale on Oct. 20 to lend his insight to students interested in applying to graduate school, especially in the current circumstances.
Junior Andrew Szewc, a career coach on the programming and resources team, said Asher’s expertise is invaluable to students amidst the pandemic.
“He tells you how to land that dream job or internship during COVID-19,” Szewc said. “Dr. Asher specializes in how to find an opportunity in any kind of market.”
The office is putting as much focus as it can into student preparation since all of the job and graduate school fairs are virtual this year.
“We’re definitely increasing our networking efforts, so career services is going to kick off their mentoring program again to connect students with alumni from the college,” Szewc said. “It’s already been really beneficial.”
The career services team is excited for the opportunities that the online format presents to students. Virtual recruitment has given the college access to employers and graduate schools that would normally not be able to travel to Hillsdale for their fairs.
“We’re seeing more Hillsdale alumni conducting interviews with virtual recruitment,” Szewc said, “which is super beneficial because now there’s a bit of context, rather than being a blind recruiter who knows nothing about Hillsdale.”
Despite the pandemic and the uncertainty of the job market, career services is still operating in full force to support students.
“We are trying to prepare students to be successful during this time in every way that we can,” Galvan said.