Career Center Spotlight: A Comprehensive Career Foundation

It starts with career advisors meeting students where they are: at any point in their career exploration journey, support and guidance is always available starting day one at the College’s Leslie Ferrick McCafferty Career Center.

In this resource center spotlight, learn more about how to engage with Emmanuel's Career Center, find key tips and get questions answered on the Career Center's process.

Emmanuel's Career Approach

While career preparation can seem like a daunting process, Emmanuel’s Career Center acts as a key partner in each student’s personal and professional growth and helps them feel confident in the goals they’re setting.

“[At Emmanuel], the Career Center is an essential part of the experience, and a vital contributor to the students’ academic journey,” said Executive Director Maureen Ashburn. 

The partnership that students maintain with the Career Center contributes to a clearer path toward career success, from the start of their Emmanuel journey to graduation and beyond.

What are some examples of how this approach amplifies students' career development experience?

• Students begin exploring careers as soon as their first year through participation in the required Career Planning & Engagement course. Early exposure to career development helps students make informed academic and career decisions sooner.
• Career development is integrated into the academic experience though internships and experiential learning opportunities, which allows students to connect classroom learning to real-world experience and gain valuable skills sought by employers.
• Programs like the Industry Recruitment Series and Professional Pathways Program introduce students to employers and professionals in their fields. Students build valuable industry connections that can lead to internships and/or full-time jobs.

Emmanuel’s career advisors are aware that students often feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start on the career planning front. Their main goal, Ashburn explained, is getting students to recognize that they’re overwhelmed and take the first steps to get support and guidance – like setting up a welcome meeting with the Career Center.

There’s no need to have a concrete plan or idea for the welcome meeting – that’s where the career advisors come in. Advisors meet students where they are, at any stage of the career planning process, said Director of Career & Professional Development, Elizabeth Deren.

“Some students may be in the early stages of their career exploration, while others are needing support in implementing their plan. The student is the center of all the work we do. We see our role as helping them to deliver lifelong career development skills and supporting their efforts in discovering their path,” Deren said.

Those who make that leap and connect with the Career Center early are also more likely to remain engaged with it throughout their Emmanuel journey, she said. Once students have that first touchpoint with their career advisor, they feel a “sigh of relief” upon getting the clarity they need to see the next steps of their journey mapped out.

Top 3 Tips for Starting Off the Academic Year Strong:

• Meet with your Career Advisor: All students have a career advisor assigned from day one and it’s never too early to meet with them. Students can plan for the year, learn about opportunities and events, and get guidance on preparing for the next step in their career.
• Attend an Industry Recruitment Series event: Meet recruiters who are interested in speaking with students about their full-time and internship opportunities.
• Gain experience: Develop your resume through an internship or volunteer opportunity, student employment, part-time job, research or other experiential activity. It’s never too early to get started!

Internships and Emmanuel's Career Network

Staying connected with the Career Center means being up to date on recruitment opportunities and other events happening on campus. This includes the Industry Recruitment Series: quick-formatted, round table discussions designed to connect students with a number of employers in a specific industry.

The events, which take place throughout the academic year, give students the chance to engage with employers in whatever way they’re comfortable with – whether it’s just taking in the information about what’s out there, asking questions about what employers are looking for from new hires or making a true face-to-face connection.

“The beauty of these is you can just listen, or you can take action with an employer right there in front of you,” Ashburn said. Often, first-year students in particular make use of the series to learn more about the variety of roles that exist in the field that they’re interested in.

It all banks on the Career Center’s personal touch with employers in the neighborhood and all over Boston. These longstanding relationships mean that employers aim to offer Emmanuel students genuine and high-quality internship opportunities and roles, while the College helps connect employers with driven students that want to succeed.

The Value of Internships

100% of Emmanuel students complete an internship – which starts in their first year with INT 1001 – Career Planning and Engagement. The course equips Emmanuel students with all the professional knowledge and insight they need to get the most out of their internships.

Why does Emmanuel have an internship requirement, and how does it benefit students?

“Students who complete an internship as an undergraduate are not only better prepared for their future career, but they are more competitive in the job market. Employers expect that students have completed an internship as an undergraduate and have gained experience in a professional setting. Emmanuel recognizes the value of experiential learning and made the commitment to support students in accessing experiential learning as part of students’ major requirements.”