Senior Scaries
How crucial are networking and campus resources to post-grad plans?
One last assignment turned in on Camino, celebrated by virtual confetti, marks the end of many students’ academic journeys. Moving on to a new chapter is surreal as seniors say goodbye to old friends and welcome new possibilities.
But some members of the graduating class are justifiably uneasy as they look ahead, especially if they don't have jobs lined up. Their potential future plans are punctuated by the word on the tip of everyone’s tongue–networking–as they engage in “informational interviews” and “chats over coffee.”
“My frat brother’s dad knows this guy at EY, and he’s going to talk to some people about me…”
“My uncle works at Nvidia, and he said that they have openings for recent grads and that he’ll put in a good word…”
“But networking isn’t all familial ties and Cal Phi connections.”
It can be as simple as your day-to-day interactions with peers, shifts at your on-campus job, and relationships with academic mentors. Seniors often don’t see the strength in these serendipitous opportunities until they are exiting academic life.
Seniors have made meaningful connections with their professors, as mentors and, most significantly, as friends. As most professors have professional experience outside of academia and know students’ strengths, their advice can serve as a valuable compass to an uncharted life plan.
For instance, Mako Watanabe, a graduating studio art major, noted that he has received immense support from the department. In particular, he is grateful to Takeshi Moro, a professor who teaches multiple photography courses on campus.
“Professor Moro knows what it takes to get you where you want to be,” explains Watanabe. “You know he is going to push you as hard as he can to get there because he wants the best for you.”
For others, their post-grad plans have been built by the resources available at Santa Clara and the experiences our campus provides to supply them with introductions to possible career paths and set them up with jam-packed resumes and collections of LinkedIn accolades.
“On-campus involvements and jobs shape the way students approach the world post-graduation, cementing their plans or inspiring the next stage of career growth.”
Watanabe took advantage of an opportunity to work under the building manager of the sculpture room at Dowd over the summer. This exposed him to the possibility of working at a gallery in the future, but he ultimately decided to take a photography job at Vantage Point Photography.
Teresa Contino, an English and psychology double major graduating this quarter, found similar benefits from the available on-campus resources.
“Santa Clara has helped a lot because there are so many opportunities like paid work, internships through Handshake and jobs through the Psychology or English department,” explained Contino. “My position as the editor-in-chief of the Santa Clara Review has helped me develop concrete skills I can put on my resume like project management, publishing and people skills.”
For many seniors, the initial plans they made coming into freshman year have been completely toppled or shifted–and sometimes this continues even after they leave campus. Adapting to changing aspirations is key to being a successful graduate.
Some seniors know where life is taking them, whether that may mean moving on to graduate school or starting a career. For others, where life may lead is a road filled with detours. Sometimes career plans derail and the job you thought you wanted is not right for you at all. But not setting your path in stone can lead you to unexpectedly wonderful opportunities.
As college students, we have the privilege of exploring all the career paths available to us and finding our passions and interests. So, make those connections with your professors and take the plunge into participating in on-campus involvements. They just might factor into your post-grad plans.