Theresa Harrigan has some advice for you.
As director of the Boston College Career Center, Harrigan has inside knowledge about what students need and employers want. While she spends most of her days participating in meetings, working with University committees, writing reports, and keeping current with her career development colleagues, she has some tips to offer BC students.
"Some students think they can't come [to the Career Center] without a definite career goal," said Harrigan, who has significant experience counseling undecided students. "But we can guide them toward that goal. We even help them choose majors, which many students don't know."
Several offices outside the Career Center also offer valuable resources to both undecided students and those with a clear path in mind, Harrigan said.
The Intersections program, for example, is one that she became involved with shortly after arriving at BC -and recommends highly.
"I like the fact that their mission is one of vocational discernment," she said of Intersections, which runs the popular Halftime retreats and sponsors paid church ministry internships. "That's what we try to do here."
Even students who aren't planning to go on a retreat can take steps to move their search forward.
"I think [students] should be reflecting on what courses they like. They should get internships for explorational purposes, to rule careers out as much as to choose one," she said. "I call it carving away."
Harrigan has firsthand experience with "carving away" - that's how she ended up in career services. After graduating from Simmons College, she was convinced she wanted to become a financial aid officer. But she began working at Northeastern University, where the only available graduate assistantship was with the school's Cooperative Education program, a core part of Northeastern life that prepares students for careers with experiential learning.
Northeastern students may be career-focused, but Harrigan said BC students' leadership, activism, and "warm, welcoming, polite" natures will take them far.
"Any student leadership position teaches a lot of management and teamwork," she said, "and employers love them."
Most importantly, Harrigan said, use the resources available to you. Network with BC alumni ("I think the BC name really opens doors," Harrigan said). Use online job and internship search mechanisms like the UCAN/Internship Exchange, EmployOn, and Career Search. Talk to professors, who have subject-specific knowledge and a desire to aid their students' development. And utilize the professionals at the Career Center, who are here to advise students and alumni alike. Harrigan herself makes time to counsel alumni mid-career changes and those approaching retirement.
"We're on the way to Dunkin' Donuts," Harrigan joked. "Please stop in."
Shawna Gallagher Vega is a contributing columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.
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