alumni and parents discussed the value of liberal arts educa- tion. Then, last November, some concerns about costs and employability were eased by a national survey showing that alumni of residential liberal arts colleges felt better prepared for life after college and for a first job than did their peers from universities. Conducted by the Annapolis Group, a con- sortium of leading liberal arts colleges, the study reveals 10, 20, even 40 percent divergences: “On virtually all measures known to contribute to positive out- comes, graduates of liberal arts colleges rate their experience more highly than do graduates of private or public uni- versities,” reports James Day, director of the study.
Nevertheless, Skidmore’s strategic
In this context, because “career services is not just about a job after graduation but about guiding the transition into a career path,” Loffredo explains, “we want students to engage early and frequently with our office.” Accordingly her staff has designed a four-year timeline:
“ON VIRTUALLY ALL MEASURES KNOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TO POSITIVE OUTCOMES, GRADUATES OF LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES RATE THEIR EXPERIENCE MORE HIGHLY THAN DO GRADUATES OF PRIVATE OR PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES.”
plan—and particularly its 2010 midpoint-assessment docu- ment—keep a strong focus on facilitating postcollege suc- cess. To nurture students’ “transitions and transformations,” Skidmore has committed to engage them in more deliberate and intentional planning to shape the course of their own learning and the way it translates into their later lives. In the 2010 document, President Philip Glotzbach points out the “increasing demands imposed upon our graduates in a world marked by an accelerating rate of change.” He calls on facul- ty and staff to “continue to develop in our graduates the high-level cognitive, social, and personal abilities that posi- tion them for the multiple careers they are likely to experi- ence over their professional lives,” and he adds, “We can be more creative in developing opportunities for students” to build such skills “across their time at Skidmore.”
• The first year is not too soon to meet with a career coun- selor for help in uncovering internship leads, identify cocurricular activities that will develop skills that might apply later on, attend programs that present career options in different departments, and check out the of- fice’s resume and cover-letter writ- ing guide.
• Sophomore year, it’s time to start drafting a resume and researching
the academic requirements for professions. It’s also time to dip into the customized databases of internship opportuni- ties and contact information for professionals who’ve of- fered to shepherd Skidmore students through “real world” work experiences.
• Juniors should refine their marketability with academic projects, volunteering, jobs, or club leadership that prove they can apply what they’ve learned. They can also under- take more internships and job shadowing. And update that resume.
• Senior year is the time to join relevant professional associa- tions at the reduced student fee, take grad-school entrance exams, check job leads through Skidmore’s databases, net- work like crazy, and venture into the marketplace for some interviews.g
CAREER-SERVICES LEADER DEB LOFFREDO (CENTER LEFT) RALLIES STUDENTS BEFORE A JOB-INTERVIEW FASHION SHOW.
SPRING 2012 SCOPE 11
GARY GOLD
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