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The Boston College Career Center has announced a new career exploration program for sophomores in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences to help students maximize the advantages of a liberal arts education in pursuing their career aspirations.
The two-day program called “Endeavor: The Liberal Arts Advantage for Sophomores” is designed to help liberal arts students gain greater clarity about their career options by identifying potential career fields and learning to articulate how the skills they are developing translate to the workplace.
“Endeavor” will feature hands-on activities to identify students’ skill areas, career coaching, networking training and career treks into the city of Boston, as well as panel discussions with alumni professionals who will share how their BC liberal arts education prepared them for their careers.
The program, which will be offered to 200 sophomores on Jan. 14-15, was developed by Associate Vice President of Student Affairs for Career Services Joseph Du Pont in concert with the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the BC Alumni Association, the Division of Student Affairs and staff at the Career Center. Organizers hope that it will become a staple of the sophomore experience.
“In the past, it was sufficient for students to start thinking about how to position themselves for career success as late as their senior year,” said Du Pont. “In today’s marketplace, employers expect students to have greater clarity about their career goals earlier, and students, in turn, have asked us to provide more career preparation earlier in their BC experience. We are excited to respond to that need.”
Du Pont and fellow administrators says that BC sophomores are ideally suited to benefit from a program like “Endeavor” as they are now versed in the Jesuit practice of discernment and reflection.
“Sophomores are ready for meaningful conversations around important topics such as career discernment, selecting a major, and exploring internship possibilities – key elements to empowering students to pursue meaningful personal and professional lives,” said Du Pont. “This program is designed to do just that.”
Sophomore Elizabeth Burke, who is pursuing a double major in theology and applied psychology and human development, said she was immediately drawn to “Endeavor” as a way to jumpstart her career planning.
“I’ve never known exactly what I wanted to do with my life post-college,” said Burke. “This program will help by giving me the opportunity to learn about different career paths and to see which might be the best fit for me. It is also an opportunity to learn networking skills that I’ll use no matter what career path I choose. I’m hoping it will give me the confidence I’m looking for in figuring out what path I want to pursue, while making some alumni connections as I begin seeking internships for next summer.”
Du Pont said that his office has identified a number of alumni across an array of industries whose careers validate the success of a liberal arts education, many of whom have agreed to participate in “Endeavor” in January.
The alumni will host panel discussions with students who have interest in their fields, before serving as career coaches for groups of three to five students during lunchtime meetings. That evening, the alumni will provide insights on how to network during a reception with alumni, faculty and staff. Students will then learn how to work with Career Center staff to help move their career plans forward.
Tim Shanahan ’09, a communication major and history minor who works in marketing for the MLB Network, said he volunteered to participate in the program to provide a resource for students interested in his field.
“I signed up to participate because I think this program represents a unique way to give back to my school and to students who were in the same position that I was,” said Shanahan. “I hardly knew anybody in sports media that I could go to for advice, make connections with or gain insight from when I graduated. Not everyone is lucky enough to have those resources at the start, and I think ‘Endeavor’ gives students this chance by bringing alumni to campus.”
Additional information on the “Endeavor” program is available here.