Scrambling Seniors Look to OCS for Job Help

Seniors scrambling for jobs as their time at the College draws to an end are looking toward the Office of Career Services for help.

“It is very stressful as you get close to graduation if all your blockmates and everybody know what they’re doing,” OCS Director Robin E. Mount said. “Students should feel free to come in and let us help you.”

With graduation less than two months away, many members of the Class of 2016 are still in the process of determining their plans once they leave campus. OCS continues to hold events and post new jobs for those still searching.

Resources like the Crimson Careers database are updated with new job postings on a daily basis, according to Anthony J. Arcieri, the OCS director of undergraduate career advising and programming.

“There were 14 full-time jobs that were just posted today alone in our database,” he said.

Students have a better chance using the the Crimson Careers database because it is unique in that employers are actually looking for Harvard students as opposed to other “web crawlers,” Deborah A. Carroll, associate director of OCS employment relations and operations, said.

One important factor that affects students’ job search is that the various fields seniors are applying to often run on different cycles, influencing when students are able to apply for positions.

Connie Yan ’16 said she hopes to find a job in the entertainment industry, which typically has later deadlines than more popular career paths at Harvard like consulting or finance. She said she is most focused on finding a job she likes.

“I’m less concerned about finding something and more concerned about finding something I’m going to enjoy,” Yan said.

However, she said finding a job in the entertainment industry presents its own challenges and requires a strong sense of initiative.

“I think the entertainment industry is definitely it’s own beast because it’s just so fast and it doesn’t wait for anyone,” she said. “It’s all about timing and luck.”

Last year, just 17 percent of the Class of 2015 went straight to graduate or professional school, with the vast majority of the rest joining the workforce, according to data presented by OCS.

Mount said her office wants students to see their first job after college as a “next step” and not a career they have to stick with for the rest of their life.