Radcliffe Hosts Session For Hopeful Job Seekers

The Radcliffe College Alumni Association (RCAA) last night hosted its first-ever dinner and summer job information session for more than 150 sophomore women at Aggassiz House in Radcliffe Yard.

RCAA each year sponsors events for the women of each undergraduate class, and sophomores requested a discussion of the issue of finding a summer job, said Jane R. Opel '50, the associations' executive director.

"We want to make students aware of the large number of Radliffe alumnae all over the country who are willing to give direction to them," said Opel.

RCAA's intention for last night's event was to provide sophomores with the tools they need in finding their own summer jobs. "Our goal was for exploration of the issue of summer jobs rather than finding specific jobs for specific students," Opel said.

Turnout to the event was much larger than expected, organizers said.

The first speaker, Mary Fan Kain, summer job coordinator at the Office of Career Services (OCS), said that OCS tries to teach students the process of finding a job as a technique for seeking employment later in life.

A hospital administrator, a Harvard Development Office employee, and a member of sales at Proctor and Gamble, all Radcliffe alumnae, talked briefly about their respective careers and offered advice about getting jobs.

Two undergraduates also discussed trying to get summer jobs last year, and they suggested ways to find employment in the areas of government internships and community service.

All of the speakers stressed the importance of personal contacts in finding summer positions. Each speaker remained after the formal program ended to answer questions.

Students found the event helpful and responded overwhelmingly positively when asked if it should be done again next year.

"Radcliffe has a lot of resources students do not know are there. We need to use all of our connections in getting jobs, and it helps to have this network of alumnae helping us," said Carin M. Aquiline '89.

"It's helpful to know that a lot of people are in the same position as I am and do not have anything concrete planned for this summer," said Bridget S. Bailey '89. "I'm glad to know that the Radcliffe alumnae want to help me."

Planners of the event were happy with the outcome of the evening. "It was really an experiment, and I think the experiment worked," said Opel.