From guiding hundreds of students through the successes, the doubts and the big decisions that shape their futures, Emmanuel’s Career Advisors have seen it all.
On their side of the desk, they see recurring questions and challenges surface at each stage: from just getting started to graduation and beyond.
Wondering what to expect from each step of your career search?
Hear from Emmanuel’s Career Advisors about what students experience from year-to-year and the advice they provide to keep their advisees moving forward.
First Year: "Am I Already Behind?"
What advisors often notice:
First-year college students are adjusting to a lot: transitioning from high school to college, feeling pressure from their families to land on a career path, and being independent for the first time.
What advisors focus on:
Early conversations are intentionally low barrier. Advisors emphasize that students don’t need to have any answers before they begin.
“Just come by to meet us,” says Director of Career and Professional Development Elizabeth Deren. “That’s the hardest part. You don’t have to have any of the answers before setting up the meeting – we’ll help you get there.”
At this stage, advisors focus on preparing students for their career development journey, which doesn’t happen overnight.
“It’s about ensuring them it’s a process,” said Meghan Braganca, Associate Director of Career Education at the McCafferty Career Center, “this is the time where they’re doing a lot of self-discovery, building confidence, and finding their passions.”
From an advisor’s perspective, the first year is less about choosing a career path, and more about helping students engage with experiences that will help shape their direction in the future.
INT 1001, the Career Planning & Engagement course, was designed by the Career Center with that in mind. Every student takes the course in the spring semester of their first year so they can practice and get familiar with early-stage career development skills in a low-stakes, guided format.
“The course allows career development to be a part of them – and keeps it in the back of their mind throughout their journey at Emmanuel,” Braganca said.
Sophomore Year: "How Do I Choose the Right Path?"
What advisors often notice:
Making the official decision on a major during sophomore year can be a stressor for students, who may feel that their decision locks them into a certain path or career trajectory.
What advisors focus on:
Advisors remind Sophomores that selecting a major is more of a representation of what they will specialize in as a student than a projection of what they have to choose as a career. Majors and minors can act as a framework for pursuing career pathways – but by no means does it “lock them in” to a such a specific path this early on in the career search process.
“You’re still allowed to be unsure about your exact trajectory,” Braganca said. “We help students make the connection between the academic and the professional by identifying what they’re interested in in class, and what sort of jobs or internships exist in the workforce that may align with those.”
Sophomore year is when advisors encourage students to get involved in what they call “low-stakes experiences” like joining clubs or finding a job on or off campus.
“These things play a role in developing skills that translate to a professional setting. They show that you have leadership skills and drive – traits that are important signals to employers,” Braganca said.
Capitalizing on these growing opportunities is what Sophomore year is all about, since students are more familiar with the people and resources on campus that they can rely on.
“It’s important to build upon that first-year momentum,” Braganca added, “this is their chance to continue growing and tap into what’s around them!”
Junior Year: "This is Becoming Very Real"
What advisors often notice:
In their Junior year, students feel the reality of the career search setting in, as they search for the right internships, consider further schooling and settling on a career trajectory.
What advisors focus on:
Advisors try to de-mystify common misconceptions about the second half of the career search to ease their concerns.
While they may be searching for the “perfect” internship to suit their long-term plans, Braganca said advisors emphasize that all internship experience is beneficial – whether it confirms a path the student would like to pursue, or rules one out. The same goes for their first job – advisors also remind students that their first job out of college doesn’t have to be their “forever job.”
“Junior year is about implementing all you’ve learned and putting into action – and taking that first step to mix in professional experience with academic specialization,” Braganca said.
At this point, students may know their end goal, but might just need additional guidance to get there. Since Career Advisors get to know their advisees while they’re at Emmanuel, they can give specific suggestions and feedback that students need to reach their goal – with their personal interests and strengths in mind.
“Students who look at us as a partner throughout the entire career experience are often the most successful,” Deren said, “but we meet students wherever they are in their process, whether it’s their first meeting or their tenth.”
Senior Year: "Am I Ready for What's Next?"
What advisors often notice:
With their whole lives ahead of them post-graduation, Seniors are preparing for a big transition. They’re going from being students to professionals, stepping into their first day at their first job, and feeling uncertainty about what comes next…
What advisors focus on:
It’s completely normal to feel some imposter syndrome about taking that next step, Braganca said, because the professional world is full of unknowns. By this point, Seniors have all the know-how they need to succeed: their advisors just have to reassure them that that they’ve put in the work, and they’ve gotten to this point for a reason.
In the case that they’re still unsure about their path forward, advisors work with Seniors to reflect about their skills and interests to brainstorm some options that will suit them. Wherever they are in the search, advisors encourage Seniors to remain open-minded and enjoy the last leg of their Emmanuel journey.
Advisors also remind Seniors that they’re not alone in this – because the people in their life have been through this process too.
For Emmanuel’s Career Advisors, seeing their advisees put in the work and find their way is what the career search is all about.
“Meghan Braganca, Associate Director of Career EducationTo see them grow over time and gain all this confidence… next thing I know they’re the ones helping their friends with career stuff, that’s my favorite part. Especially if they went from being unsure about their future to eventually finding the right path."
