Career Services Office Has Got Its MoJo

Author: Chelsea Coffin

Most Middlebury students wonder about their career path. What happens after four years in the "Middlebury bubble"? Students looking for an answer can visit the Career Services Office (CSO). Jaye Roseborough, executive director of CSO, recommends early involvement through internships, which give students a chance to try out their professional competencies and develop necessary skills.
The CSO's Web site posts some compelling evidence for the importance on internships with the National Association of Colleges & Employers' Job Outlook Survey (2001). Twenty-five percent of employers hire from within the organization's internship program, 55 percent have new college hires with internship experience and 64 percent pay their new, permanent, full-time hires with internship experience an average of 8.9 percent more than new hires without experience.
To explore job and internship opportunities, the first step is MoJo (Middlebury Online Job Opportunities) registration on the CSO Web site. Students can indicate their fields of interest, and can also upload their resume. Once registered, students can search the MoJo database, and they will receive e-mails relevant to their professional interests, including news of job opportunities and upcoming events.
The MoJo database includes over 20,000 internship and job opportunities shared by the top 20 liberal arts colleges in the country, with some internships reserved exclusively for Middlebury students. Most internships are posted early in the second semester, but the more competitive assignments, such the "Today Show" may have deadlines as early as January.
CSO also supports special internship programs. Juniors can compete for summer internship stipends to support their summer work. Leadership Peaks internships give juniors a chance to shadow top leaders — an international cardio surgeon, the commissioner of New York City parks or a company president. There are opportunities for other classes as well; sophomores, juniors and seniors can apply by Oct. 31 to receive credit for a Winter Term Internship.
The CSO acts as a job placement resource for seniors. After registering for MoJo, e-mails will alert seniors to recruiting events, such as on-campus recruiters, off-campus consortia and not-for-profit job fairs. The CSO has a new program, Careers in the Common Good, which introduces students to careers in the nonprofit sector as well as socially conscious businesses in a wide range of fields.
Throughout the year, Middlebury alumni and parents of Middlebury students give students exposure to a particular field through the Career Conversations program. More formal information sessions with recruiting employers give students a chance to learn the industry and make contact with potential employers. In skill workshops, the CSO teaches how to compose cover letters, construct a resume and provides tips for succesful interviewing.
When asked about advice she would give to students, Roseborough replied, "The liberal arts education encourages students to study whatever they're passionate about. This doesn't guarantee job placement. What gives students the greatest competitive edge is internship experience."
To register for MoJo, check out the CSO Web site at www.middlebury.edu/~cso.