Almost a hundred students gathered in Washington D.C. on Jan. 19 or New York City a day later to attend Dickinson College’s annual Career Connections. Alumni from diverse career fields hosted the students during the two days so they could attend information sessions at sites such as the Ad Council, NBC Universal and the National Institute of Health.

Gloria Huse ’16 attended the event as an alumna because, she says “These events are an amazing way to meet and talk to people who you didn’t know beforehand, and it allows people to form connections that may be useful even many years down the line.”

Elizabeth Smith ’18 echoed Huse’s praise of the event saying, “everyone I met definitely inspired me to find something I love to do and make it into a career.”

The 83 participants met with alumni and learned about possible career paths. In Washington D.C., 33 students met with alumni working at organizations like the International Spy Museum, the National Institute of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In New York City, representatives from The Robin Hood Foundation, The Ad Council, Impact Communication Partners, FTI Consulting, Mondo Media Company and NBCUniversal spoke with the 50 students.

Students began the day by visiting two companies or institutions in their respective industries, which gave them the chance to speak directly with expert alumni. The day concluded with a networking session where participants met with various other alumni and parents.

Alexander Haver ’20, a student participant, found the event to be “very helpful and interesting… I got to learn a lot about my field of study from seven or eight different specialists.”

It was Jackson Claudio’s ’17 second time at Career Day, and he “really enjoy[ed] it” again “because I get to experience the workplace atmosphere of each place that I attend.”

Heather Champion ’97, the director of Employer Relations for the Career Center, welcomes all students to upcoming Career Days saying, “We would encourage all students to consider participating in the future.”        

The Career Center also hosted a 2-10 day Externship Program over the winter break, during which students could “gain some in-depth knowledge about a particular career field,” much like the Career Day, says Champion.  This Externship is similar to an internship in that students receive an in-depth look at a potential career field, explains Champion, though it differs in that it is more of a “shadow experience” and it is significantly shorter.

The Career Center will be hosting an internship networking day on Feb. w18. Students can sign up through Handshake on Gateway. Anyone with questions about internships can schedule an appointment at the Career Center.

If you are interested in the externship program or have any questions, you may contact Annie Kondas at [email protected].