Ask Becky
Support for the job hunt during a pandemic.
I’m a 1976 graduate and would love to do what I can to help out the graduating seniors during these turbulent times. —Helpful
Dear Helpful:
One of the pillars of our work in the Career & Civic Engagement Center is alumnae/i engagement. Thank you and the many others who have reached out to offer support to students and each another.
The Class of 2020 is graduating at an incredibly challenging time in our history. Given the uncertainties with the economy and the job market, new grads as well as many alums will have to think creatively and differently about employment and career choices for the time being. There may be growth and new opportunity in some industries, while other industries may recess.
What can you do to help?
Join Mawrter Connect! Mawrter Connect is Bryn Mawr’s enhanced personal and professional networking community, where alumnae/i can raise their hands to share their experiences and guidance. It is an easy way for students to find willing Mawrters for informational interviews, to explore what life is like in a particular city or country, and so much more.
You can also post or refer jobs, volunteer positions, board service opportunities, and project work to alumnae/i in the Jobs Board in Mawrter Connect.
Join the BMC exclusive LinkedIn groups and share articles, post job leads, refer people to professional development opportunities, and so forth. If you are an employer or hiring manager, you may set up an account in Handshake, the recruiting platform that we use to post jobs, internships, and fellowships for students. This is also accessible by alumnae/i.
What's the Center been doing?
Handshake is the hub of Career & Civic Engagement Center activity. We’ve been communicating regularly with employer partners about the shifting landscape and new opportunities for internships and jobs. Despite the uncertainties, hundreds of new opportunities continue to be posted. We are shining an even brighter spotlight on remote work opportunities as well.
Career Counseling has always been available to recent grads; that has not changed. We continue to provide ongoing guidance and support via telephone and video calls while working remotely, to help students creatively and effectively pursue career or continuing education options.
Throughout the spring, workshops and webinars have been led by career counselors at the College, as well as via industry experts such as Vault.com and Forté. We’ve been developing new virtual Intensives and other program offerings to maintain social distancing and student learning.
The Center subscribes to a range of online job and career databases, available to all students and most of which are also available to alums.
Alumnae/i who graduated into the Great Recession faced one of the most difficult job markets in recent memory. We invited a range of these alums to participate in Zoom panel discussions with seniors; the alums shared their stories and strategies for launching your career during turbulent times. Other alums have also continued to host virtual conversations with students through 1:1 and group sessions.
Click here to learn more about career coaching.
Need help navigating the world of work? Career guru (and Bryn Mawr's senior associate director of Alumnae/i Career Services) Becky Ross takes your questions at raross@brynmawr.edu. Please keep your questions succinct.
Click on the Resources Below
Published on: 05/20/2020