For many of us, graduation is coming in December or May. The next steps in life can seem daunting and out of reach. And unfortunately, we cannot stop or slow down the flow of time. My name is Molly Dustin, and I am beginning to feel the stress of the question: “Where to next?”
So, who am I exactly? I am currently a “sunior”—a junior, but I’m graduating early, so almost a senior—here at the Mount, and I will be walking across the stage with some of you this spring. At the Mount I step into many roles: I’m an undergraduate student, a member of the softball team, and now the Career Center’s writing intern for the fall semester. I am here today to help Mount students alleviate the stress that comes with the future and change.
The Career Center is one resource that all Mount students will benefit from using. I urge most of you seniors, if you are feeling the least bit stressed, to reach out and see what the Career Center has to offer to you on your journey of living a life of significance.
This is a resource that you will have for the rest of your time at the Mount, and beyond. The Career Center is available to all alumni, meaning you can utilize it for the rest of your life. You can visit us by making an appointment on Handshake, our virtual scheduling center, at https://msmary.joinhandshake.com or by walking into the Career Center, located in Upper McGowan.
The Career Center is staffed by people that are ready to help you achieve your dreams. Matthew Pouss, the director, and Jillian Bradley, assistant director, are trained career counselors who can help students with the various steps of the job hunt. Additionally, the Career Center sponsors events like job and internship fairs, resume writing workshops, LinkedIn workshops and many more.
Personally, I have spent lots of time discussing my hopes to attend graduate school with Jillian. She has helped me consider where I will be going, what I will be studying, and how I will get into the program of my choice. The Career Center can link you with other universities as well as employers and recruiters.
If you would rather explore an online resource before coming to the Career Center, then I urge you to look at our online system, Handshake. Handshake is full of employers looking to utilize the skills you have mastered through your education at the Mount. This system is user-friendly, and you will be able to upload a resume and cover letter for applications and reach out to as many employers and organizations as you’d like. As you search, you can narrow results with filters like the location of the job, the time of the job and by your major.
With this new wealth of information, I urge you to log in to your Handshake account, upload your document, and get in touch with the Career Center. I challenge you to reach out and to begin creating a real, achievable career plan for the year, especially those who are going to cross that stage in 2022-23.