Aware that parents are acutely anxious about their students’ job and internship prospects during the pandemic-induced recession, the BC Career Center has been working hard since early March to ensure that your students continue to have access to the information, resources, and services they need to explore careers and gain experience. We encourage students to continue their job and career searches, and remind them that there are many ways to acquire transferable skills and valuable experience.
Employers are doing their best to honor their commitments to students for both internships and full-time job offers. Where possible, they are delaying start dates and creating opportunities for internships offline. We recognize, of course, that flexibility isn’t possible for every employer in every industry. So what should your student do if plans change?
As much as possible, we encourage students to try to maintain a sense of perspective and focus on what they can control. They should try to keep in mind that nearly every student at every university has been affected by the pandemic and its many challenges. But we remain optimistic that this is a moment for BC students to shine.
A Boston College liberal arts education provides students with a broad set of transferable skills, regardless of major. This pandemic is a reminder to the world that in times of crises, we need excellent critical thinkers, strong communicators, compassionate leaders, and outstanding collaborators. Be assured that your student is already gaining the skills employers are seeking and will continue to do so through remote learning and other activities. You can help your son or daughter student better understand and articulate how their experiences align with the skills employers are looking for using our Career Readiness Reflection Worksheet.
Those students who spend this unexpected time at home building new and strengthening existing skills will be better positioned for employment when the market changes. Encourage your son or daughter to start learning a new language, master a new technical skill, or build a project to help your community. These are all productive ways to use time and build the same types of skills your student would in a summer internship (read this BC Career Center post and this Forbes article for more).
Encourage your student to continue to explore opportunities, apply for positions, and use the Career Center’s rich array of online services and resources. While many careers have been interrupted and ambitions put on hold, we don’t want students to miss the opportunities while they wait for the situation to improve.
One of the best ways for students to receive information relevant to their career interests is to join one or more career clusters. They will receive periodic emails about their fields of interest, services and resources, industry updates, and more.
We recognize that each student’s circumstances and needs are different and, as such, the Career Center offers a wide range of virtual services and resources. Students should access these amenities and schedule individual time, as needed, with our career coaches to discuss their own individual goals and challenges. In addition, graduating senior students will have access to these services for 5 years post-graduation.
Virtual Career Coaching:
The Career Center is fully remote, so students who have questions about a job search, change of internship plans, or any other career-related inquiry can find answers in person and online. They can have a cover letter reviewed during virtual drop-ins; ask a quick question and get an answer from a career coach during career cluster open hours; or schedule time to talk through a challenge with a career coach during a remote appointment.
Virtual Workshops and "Ask an Alum" Series:
The Career Center has a range of workshops available online and will offer programming throughout this summer to support students who are seeking guidance. Encourage your student to check their email and our calendar regularly for details.
Eagle Exchange:
Whether your student is actively seeking a position or exploring career options, this is an important time to be networking—virtually, of course. In fact, thousands of BC alumni have indicated that they would like to hear from and support students. You can find more information about how to get started with networking on our website here. And Eagle Exchange (like a BC-specific LinkedIn) is the perfect platform in which to pursue these connections.
We invite you to review the Career Center’s Coronavirus webpage for more updates and resources.
by Joseph Du Pont, Associate Vice President, Career Services
Rachel Greenberg, Director of Career Education and Strategy
Job or internship plans fall through because of the pandemic? Here are some things you can still do to build skills, gain valuable experience, and become a more attractive candidate to employers.
- Explore virtual internships and project-based, open source, or collaborative projects. These can be great for networking and résumé-building.
- Consider a BC summer class to further your progress toward degree completion and free up time for an internship this fall.
- Take advantage of free online classes to build skills. Start learning a new language, for example. Or expand your technical skills.
- Volunteer online or in your community.
- Use Eagle Exchange to get career advice from Boston College alumni.
- Review and update your social media profiles. This is where employers will see you “first” in a virtual world.
- Practice your virtual interviewing skills via Big Interview. Virtual interviews are more challenging than in-person interviews—the more practice, the better.
- Study for upcoming or future standardized tests.