Holiday break is career boost for Gettysburg College students

Leo Marte ¿09 (left) and Mark Kalenak ¿89 at Science Applications International Corporation

For some students, winter break means vacation. For others, it means a temporary job at the mall or McDonald's. But for Gettysburg College students, the holiday break means networking and real-world experience in a wide spectrum of career fields.

From New York to Chicago to West Hollywood, Calif., Gettysburg students will have nearly 100 opportunities to meet alumni and parents of current or past students for job shadowing, mock interviews, networking events, and more during the Dec. 15 to Jan. 17 break.

"Students learn how to articulate the value that they can bring to an employer, and they make lasting connections that often lead to internships and careers," said Kathy Williams, director of Gettysburg Center for Career Development. "And employers tell us that they participate because it's a great way to find great people."

"These are the kinds of people I need," agreed Mark Kalenak, who hosted a student last year at Science Applications International Corporation in Washington, D.C., where he is an engineering manager. "I need people who can really think and write, which reflects the liberal arts experience. I think it's very helpful to have a broader perspective, and that's what I look for when I'm recruiting people."

Gettysburg's "Making Your Future Work" program offers students four types of winter-break experiences.

Job shadowing lets students experience the reality of their hosts' professions. This year's approximately 35 opportunities span careers from law to foundation work to physical therapy and stretch from New Hampshire to Louisiana.

"It's really a ‘day in the life,'" Williams said. "Students gain real insight into a field that interests them, and they connect with a person who is successful in that field. For example, we have a surgeon who allows students to observe in the operating room."

Kalenak, whose team is developing high-tech communications systems for the U.S. Navy, hosted Leo Marte, a junior computer science major from New York City. "Leo's enthusiasm and openness to learning and his very broad interest base - from geopolitics to information technology - really impressed me," said Kalenak, a 1989 Gettysburg graduate who made it a point to reached out to other alumni on Marte's behalf and remained in touch with him.

"Had it been not for the shadowing program I would have never had the opportunity to explore to such depth the position of a person like Mark, nor would I have been to build a good relationship with an alum," said Marte, a political science minor who participated in Gettysburg's study-abroad program in Lancaster, England, this past semester. "I strongly recommend the job shadowing program to all students who are really serious about their future."

"Bright Lights! Big City!" is a multi-day seminar focusing on a particular career field in a selected metropolitan area. Students visit workplaces, interact with panelists who work in the field, create case studies that are reviewed by experts, and more. This year, students will connect with alumni and parents in mass media and communications in New York City.

Mock interviews are conducted by alumni and parents with experience as hiring managers. The interviews occur at the interviewers' places of business, this year extending from Delaware to Oklahoma. "Students learn better ways to market themselves, and also get feedback about their resumes," Williams said.

"Dining With Strangers" brings parents and alumni together with students at a home or restaurant. Students hear about their hosts' career paths, learn about socializing and dining in a professional context, and develop their networks. The hosts hear firsthand about the latest developments on campus.  "We like to say that by the end of the evening, strangers have become friends," Williams said. This year's 24 events stretch from Maine to California.

Of course, Gettysburg's career preparation program isn't limited to winter break. Summertime "externships" are one example. Students shadow an alum or parent host for several days in the workplace and also stay at their host's home.

From students' first day on campus, Gettysburg's Making Your Future Work career development program offers myriad opportunities: individual coaching; insiders' advice about grad school; help with resumes and cover letters; online and on-campus interviews; job fairs; need-based help with internship expenses; training in the fine points of networking, etiquette, and wardrobe; access to a massive database of alumni, employers, and grad schools.

Gettysburg's commitment to providing career education with a strong experiential component is distinctive, Williams said. "I don't know of too many other colleges or universities that put this much effort into getting students out there."

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with approximately 2,600 students. It is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Posted Dec. 13, 2007

By Jim Hale