This article is featured in the 2024 Homecoming Special Issue.
For many Dartmouth students, academic stress is coupled with another looming question: What should I do after graduation?
Amid competitive labor markets, external pressures and lengthy internship and job applications, the process of answering ‘What’s next?’ can quickly become overwhelming. The Center for Professional Development, however, can help students strategically steer their futures and achieve their professional goals, CPD director Monica Wilson wrote in an email statement.
The CPD offers resources to support students through each step of their career journey, such as one-to-one career coaching, career exploration labs, alumni connections, career fairs and employment opportunities, according to its website.
“Students will be navigating futures filled with twists and turns,” Wilson wrote. “We want to help provide a foundation that enables students to maximize their strengths, stay ahead of ever-changing employment and industry trends and pivot with agility, as they strategically steer their futures.”
For many students, the CPD provides personalized support to help them refine their career goals and navigate the job market. Erica Dunne ’25 said the Center helped her break into consulting — a traditionally competitive industry. Dunne explained that CPD staff members helped her “better structure” her resume and “tailor” it to the relevant jobs. Dunne ultimately secured a job at Bain & Company, a top consulting firm.
“[CPD staff members] looked over my resume, helped me with mock case interviews and talked me through my internship options,” Dunne said. “They really helped me understand what consulting was and what it looked like in the day-to-day, which I didn’t know much about.”
Dunne added that the CPD’s mock case interviews — where a candidate must analyze a business problem and provide recommendations to address the issue — were especially helpful, as she “didn’t have many people to practice with.” In addition to consulting interviews, the CPD provides practice sessions in a range of industries.
The CPD also provides resources to “meet an array of student needs and interests,” according to Wilson. For individuals still narrowing their interests, the CPD offers “a suite of career activities” to help students hone their skill sets, Wilson said. Meanwhile, the Center helps those with “clear career paths” by assisting with “each aspect” of the internship, job, graduate and professional school search, Wilson wrote.
“This includes identifying potential employers and grad[uate] programs, preparing application materials, practicing interviews, networking, evaluating offers and more,” Wilson wrote.
Willa Ferris ’27 agreed that the CPD can be helpful for those students who are confident in their job path.
“Even if you think you have everything planned out and know what you’re doing, it’s so great to get feedback from an objective, outside perspective,” Ferris said. “They have been doing this for quite a while, and they are there to help with applications and landing you that job you want, or even finding the jobs you might want.”
For Ferris, the CPD helped her land a non-traditional academic opportunity in archeology. During her freshman year, Ferris said she approached the CPD for help with her application to a four-week field school program in Sardinia.
“I wasn’t sure if the CPD would be able to help because I wasn’t applying for a job or internship, but they were so supportive,” Ferris said. “They helped me bolster my essays, create a well-rounded resume and did mock interviews with me to prepare.”
Ferris said she worked closely with CPD assistant director and career coach Peter Krause, who guided her through the application process.
“Peter [Krause] came back with a whole folder of resources on museum internships and archaeology opportunities that I didn’t even ask for,” Ferris said. “It showed me how much the CPD really cares about going above and beyond to help students.”
The CPD continues to seek additional ways to support students. In September, the Center added a satellite office in the basement of McNutt Hall, joining its main space on South Main Street. The addition, located on campus, aims to make the Center more accessible to students.
“We’ve already seen that moving to the heart of campus has increased student engagement with our office,” Wilson wrote. “Students love being able to meet face-to-face with our career coaches there for appointments. We’re just a few steps away from Collis and [the Class of ’53 Commons].”
In addition to convenience, the satellite location also offers new career labs, “ask us anything” drop-in hours — held from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday — as well as activities to help students make “informed” career decisions, Wilson wrote. The next phase of development, she added, will bring additional employers and alumni to the satellite location to make “networking even easier.”
“We routinely partner with employers and alumni to collaborate on workshops, panels and other events, including virtual and in-person fairs,” Wilson wrote. “We ask employers and alumni for insights and advice to include in our weekly newsletter, to share with students in one-on-one coffee chats and to discuss during networking sessions.”
While juniors and seniors may face the most job-hunting pressure, some students recommended accessing the resources earlier in their academic careers.
“A lot of people assume the CPD is only for juniors and seniors, but I started going there as a sophomore, or even as a freshman, and it made a huge difference,” Dunne said. “The earlier you start, the more time you have to get comfortable with the job search process.”
