CWiB x Shaw Wellness Institute Present: Navigating the Job Market during COVID-19
At our second coffee hour of the semester, CWiB collaborated with Shaw Wellness Institute to hear from Colgate alumnae as part of occupational wellness month. The alumni reflected on their professional experiences and gave advice on handling the job market during the unpredictability of COVID-19. While many of them were fortunate enough to secure their post-graduate opportunities prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, they reflected on the struggles that they have faced while navigating the transition from school to work during the pandemic and working in a remote setting.
Meet our Panelists!
- Carolyn Robb ‘20: a molecular bio and women’s studies major who is currently conducting research at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD and is planning to apply for med school (crobb@colgate.edu)
- Jenna Walter, ‘20: an economics major (and former CWIB president!) currently an investment banking analyst at Rockefeller Management in NY (jwalter@colgate.edu)
- Ruther Kissel ‘20: a computer science major with a minor in sociology currently an ecommerce associate at Wayfair in Boston, MA (rkissel@colgate.edu)
- Enrique Nuñez ‘19: an education studies major with a Latin American Studies minor who is currently a 7th & 8th grade math teacher at an all-girls school in San Antonio, Texas (enunez@colgate.edu)
What is the hardest part about being remote? Do you have any tips to stay motivated in a remote position?
The panelists acknowledged that being completely remote can be challenging because making connections at a new job can be intimidating. To overcome these obstacles, the panelists suggest messaging coworkers to ask for help and to make social connections. In a new role, it is especially important to interact with others, so you should take the initiative to ask questions and put yourself out there. It may feel awkward at first, but it will help you to become more independent and confident. They also recommend setting up coffee chats or one-on-one video calls to become more comfortable with your coworkers. Another piece of advice the alumni had for college students: Don’’t be afraid to pick up the phone! It is easier than trying to email or message someone back and forth, and can make you feel more comfortable interacting with your team or supervisors.
The panelists said that another struggle of working from home is that it can be lonely and tiring. One tip they had was to invest in your workspace. This will help minimc what an office environment would be like. Another tip is to make a routine: get dressed for work to get more into a work mindset, and set aside time to relax at the end of the day, even if it is just getting outside to take a walk.
Is there anything you wish you knew going into the job search process? Any advice for students who are looking for internships this summer?
A common theme the alumni discussed is having an open mind, and understanding that you might end up somewhere you didn’t see yourself initially. Always check the Career Services schedule to see what companies are having info sessions, look at the career services weekly roundup emails, and at opportunities through Handshake. When you are interviewing for an opportunity, pay attention to the people who you are interacting with – will they be good mentors? Do you want to be around them? And lastly, it is always helpfuls to reach out to alumni: the Colgate network is huge and the alumni want to help, you can never start too early!
Colgate Women in Business 