Tables with people, food, and prizes lined O’Neill Plaza on Wednesday afternoon for the Career Center’s annual Careerfest.
At the event, students were handed “passports” that prompted them to attend five different tables at the event to receive a t-shirt.
There were also number of games at the event, including a bungee challenge, a giant Connect Four, and a celebrity career roulette wheel. Popcorn and ice cream were also available to students.
Careerfest is an effort by the Career Center to introduce students who may be wary about internship and career exploration to advisors at the Career Center.
“Career exploration, by nature, can be a bit intimidating for some students, and we want to demystify that process a bit and encourage students to seek us out,” said Joseph Du Pont, associate vice president for student affairs and career services. “By creating a festive, fun environment, we hope to encourage students to do just that.”
Du Pont hopes that students walked away from the event thinking that Career Center staff are fun, approachable people who care about them.
There was something available for everyone at Careerfest, according to Du Pont. Students from all grades and at all points in their career search, including those who were preparing for a targeted internship, job search, or graduate school, attended the event.
Careerfest was strategically held before the Fall Career and Internship Fair, an event that allows students to network with potential employers. The advisers at the Career Center hope that students will become more comfortable with the idea of attending Career Center events, like the career and internship fair, after exploring the Careerfest.
“Career exploration, by nature, can be a bit intimidating for some students, and we want to demystify that process a bit and encourage students to seek us out.”
—Joseph Du Pont, associate vice president for student affairs and career services
Many clubs were also featured at Careerfest, including BCEMS, EcoPledge, the Latin American Business Club, and Leadershape.
“Although they are very different, all, in their unique way, help students get involved, reflect on their talents, and build skills, important attributes regardless of how they decide to use their talents in the world,” Du Pont said.
The advisers at the Career Center will host two more events in the coming weeks that they hope will engage a wide audience of students.
The first event, Launch, is a career conference that will allow juniors and seniors to explore their interests, talents, and skills, better understand hiring timelines, and learn job searching skills from alumni and recruiters. The event, which will be co-sponsored by the Office of Residential Life, will take place at the Thomas More Apartments from 10:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14.
The second event, Endeavor, is a three-day career-exploration program for sophomores who have a liberal arts major. The program connects participants with alumni, who act as mentors for the program, providing personal anecdotes on their career experiences. Sophomores will also take trips into Boston to explore potential career options. The event takes place from Jan. 11 through Jan 13.
Rachel Greenberg, associate director of the Career Center and organizer of the Careerfest, said she was happy with this event.
“It was a lot of fun to interact with students—and for them to interact with us—in a fun, informal way, while also showing them how the Career Center can support all students regardless of where they are in their career discernment process,” she said.
Featured Image by Amelie Trieu / Heights Editor
