Getting your name out there

How to find a job through the career office

By Rob Cattanach

Staff Writer

Looking for a job can be a rather daunting task. For college students, jobs and internships are not only a means to pay for expenses and tuition, but are also a stepping stone for future employment into the workforce.

However, finding a job does not have to be as difficult as it appears. Websites such as Handshake, Indeed, and LinkedIn are excellent for students to use during their job search.

The St. Michael’s College Career Center offers students access to a fully equipped Career Center.

“We will walk through some various job search strategies, help connect to alumni, provide resources that can make that process of looking for a job much easier, as well as help build a resume and cover letter,” said Ingrid Peterson, director of the Career Center.

In order to set up an appointment with the Career Center, students need to first enter Handshake, a job posting and career network website for students and recent graduates. Through the College’s authorization, employers are able to post listings for students looking to apply for jobs and internships.

“Students are very capable of going out there, using the job boards, and finding what’s out there. We can certainly help with the process, help them make connections and give them some resources to find what it is they are looking for. If they have a question of being unsure of what they want to be doing we can help with that too,” said Tim Birmingham ’02, a career education coach at the Center.

Career Education Coach, Tim Birmingham ’02 awaits student inquiries to assist in job searching and resume building.

Richie Siracusa ’22 here at St. Michael’s is a teaching assistant for Organic Chemistry 1 and works between three and four hours every week.

“I have a personal connection with the professor and they asked me If I could take on the role,” said Siracusa.

Along with being a teaching assistant, Siracusa is also a senior member of St. Michael’s Fire and Rescue which takes up a majority of his time during the week. On top of trying to fit in time to see friends.

“I struggled at first to find balance, and still I still struggle to fit in time to see friends and do the things I enjoy,” he said.

Sophomores and other underclassmen are not the only ones looking for jobs. The graduating seniors are going into a job market where many businesses are still struggling to stay open as a result of the pandemic. Colton Boesch ’21 has been searching for sales representative opportunities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

In the meantime, Boesch will be working full-time at the local marina in Rhode Island, his home state. He has had this job for a few seasons, resulting from personal connections and outsourcing his skills.

“Off the bat, many of us seniors lost the internships and potential experience the workforce would be looking for once we were sent home,” Boesch said. However, he is hopeful that employers will be understanding of the situation but can’t help feeling a step behind because of COVID-19 while having to adjust to a new virtual world of business.

“We typically see 80-90% of a graduating class sometime during their college career. We have about 700 in-person/video/phone appointments a year and work with another 500-600 email appointments with students and alumni each year,” said Peterson regarding the rate at which graduates find occupations after graduation.

Whether it’s through on-line platforms or human connections college students everywhere are looking for part-time, summer, and full time jobs. Having sources like Indeed and Handshake were designed to make that process easier.