On Oct. 18, the Office of Career Services and Internships held their ninth annual Career Symposium in the Ryan Lounge on the third floor of the McCormack Building. With an attendance of around 70 people, 16 alumni talked about their career paths after their education at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
After scanning their student IDs, students were handed blue pamphlets at the door and sat down at one of the 16 tables. Each table had two signs: one sign stated who the presenter was along with their credentials, while the other said what specialty was going to be discussed. The setting sun shone through the windows while career specialists from the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), Jennifer Barone and Ade Igbineweka, introduced all the alumni speakers. Though there were some technical difficulties, a giant projector behind the podium showcased names and information while the introduced person stood up. This was the first part of the event.
RSVPing with Beacon Careers was preferred but anyone could show up day-of. In a reminder email from the Office of Career Services and Internships, they primed attendees to dress professionally and come with clear, concise questions in order to get the most out of the event. Sample interview questions were printed on the back of the blue pamphlets while small tips for successful networking were written inside.
The introductions were over around 6 p.m. and Barone explained how the networking portion was going to work: “So, this is your time, students, to network with the alumni who are here. You’re going to get two chances to visit a round table for 30 minutes each. Our alumni are here to tell you their stories, share their advice. Ask them all the questions you have about how they got to where they are, what internships they did, and if their organization has internships or opportunities you might be interested in. It’s a wonderful event and I hope you enjoy. So please head on over to the first alumni you’d like to meet!”
Guest alumni were graduates from 1982 all the way up to 2017. Many of them graduated at the top of their classes and all have become very successful in their fields. Professions spanned from Law Enforcement to Athletic Professional Development to Technical Writing and everything in between. As a learning experience, students were taught real-life job etiquette such as exchanging business cards or gathering names and emails to follow up on any questions, comments, or concerns in the future.
When the formal informational round-table talks were done, Career Services served waters, fruit, cookies and brownies, and crackers with cheese. The alumni representing the public health field brought metal bottles as well as fridge magnets to give away.
Although this was primarily CLA-focused, all students were and are welcome to attend any UMass Boston networking event. The Office of Career Services and Internships’s October symposium is their main networking event but they have another coming up in December for December graduates, recent alumni, and students looking for Spring and Summer 2018 internships.