The

senior

briefing.

Sponsored by the Class of 2014, �Senior Class Dean, Registrar, �Career Center, and Dean of Studies

Session aims:

• Set a foundation for an amazing senior-year experience and life after Oberlin
• Offer senior-specific information when it matters most: up front
• Help make sure you know what lies ahead this year so you will avoid any chance of ugly surprises
• Help you get a jump on critical due dates and nail down your timelines

Do you know?

• Only 15% of all open positions are posted
• There are multiple strategies for identifying and applying for entry-level professional employment and that most candidates use only one strategy
• A large percentage of employers are disappointed in the overall quality of application materials they review
• There are presently more than 40,000 alumni of Oberlin, with the largest concentrations in New York, DC, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco
• Most Oberlin alumni have never been contacted by a single Oberlin student

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Nine basic tips:

• Approach your post-Oberlin plan incrementally
• Set your own timeline and stick to it
• Remember, a lot of this is about talking with people
• Enlist aid of others
• Be authentic and true to yourself
• Assume you will be offered interviews
• Own your choices and actions
• Remember your last major transition
• Have a Plan B

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Career Center staff:

Linda Gwinn, Center Coordinator

Arisa Williams, Technology and Systems

Peer Career Advisors (8) and Student Assistants (3)

Brian Doan, Asst. Director, career advising

Donna Russell, Asst. Director, career advising and internships

Gayle Boyer, Operations Manager, career advising

Nick Petzak, Coordinator of Fellowships fellowships advising

Richard Berman, Director, career advising

Transitioning: Graduate School

• The data suggest ….
• When to go? To go or not to go?
• Faculty advising, career center support

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Marching at Commencement

Receiving your degree from Oberlin

Preparing for Graduation

Make sure that you have applied to graduate.

• We cannot predict when you will graduate; we need you to tell us.
• Your parents/family will not receive important commencement mailings until you apply.

You can check your degree requirements online using the DegreeWorks Degree Evaluation in PRESTO. Gail Johns, in our office, is ready to assist with any questions you have. Email Gail Johns at gail.johns@oberlin.edu.

Once you are on track, don’t make huge changes to your record without thinking ahead. We strongly suggest checking with Gail Johns to insure you have met all requirements with changes.

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Liz Clerkin, Registrar, Carnegie 124

To be eligible to participate in Commencement:

• students must be registered at Oberlin for the final semester in residence;
• this registration must be for all remaining course requirements for the degree(s) sought; and
• all non-course requirements must also be completed by the end of classes in order to participate in Commencement.

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Preparing for Graduation

Liz Clerkin, Registrar, Carnegie 124

• Students who have permission to finish their work away from Oberlin may participate in Commencement exercises only after all requirements have been completed and the degree awarded. A student may participate in Commencement only one time.
• Double-Degree students: A double-degree student completing the two degrees in different semesters may participate in Commencement exercises for the single degree (either B.A. or B.Mus) assuming all marching requirements for that degree are met. Double-degree students may return to participate in Commencement exercises as a double-degree student only after the requirements for the second degree have been met. Double-degree students who choose to participate in commencement a second time are responsible for all expenses related to the second commencement.

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Preparing for Graduation

Liz Clerkin, Registrar, Carnegie 124

Transitioning: Fellowships

Nick Petzak, Fellowships Advisor

Career Center, x58140

Stevenson Hall – Longman Commons

npetzak@oberlin.edu

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• Note deadlines on your calendar
• Schedule an appointment with Nick in November
• All information is accessible at:�new.oberlin.edu/office/fellowships

Transitioning: Employment

Transitioning: Job Search Cycle

Next Steps

• Meet with a career advisor

Discuss your plan

Review application materials

Practice Interviews

• Participate in on and off campus recruiting programs

SLAC Regional Interview Days

Employer visits: Information Sessions & Tables, Interviews

• Take advantage of Career Center Information Sessions and Workshops
• Search for positions: ObieOpps and more
• Network: ObieWeb and LinkedIn

Senior Year Planner / Timeline

• Make the most of your final year at Oberlin
• Tool to help you plan for employment and/or graduate school
• Different for everyone
• May not be as linear as it appears
• Doesn’t include everything

Transitioning: Employment

oberlin.edu/career

Programs and Events

• Weekly Working Sessions
• Alumni-Student Networking Events
• Open-agenda Fridays
• Winter Term Internships
• Regional Interview Days (NYC, DC, SFO, Chicago)
• Senior-to-Senior Networking Events
• Pass the Torch (Seniors to Juniors)
• Senior Week
• Etiquette Dinner
• Senior Send-off

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Ways to Stay Informed

• Weekly e-mails from the Center
• Web site: oberlin.edu/career
• Calendars
• Tumblr > Blackboard
• FaceBook & Twitter

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward, only back.”

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• Steve Jobs, June 2005�Palo Alto, California

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What Do Oberlin Students Do after Graduation?

Where Do Oberlin Students Work?

Class of 2013

in the USA

Class of 2013

around the world