Do you think Dartmouth does enough to help us find internships and jobs? If not, what more could they be doing?
While we can’t fix the D-Plan’s many pitfalls, we can make the most of our off-terms using the various resources available to us at the College. Unlike other educational institutions, Dartmouth prioritizes life after graduation. From matriculation to commencement, we are exposed to a variety of opportunities, from internships and fellowships to entry-level positions. The College not only facilitates our employment search, but also promotes our professional development. In any given week of the term, we receive countless emails from the Center for Professional Development. We are given the chance to rework our resumes, polish our networking skills, and meet alumni from a host of industries — all within the confines of Hanover. Although we often take such events for granted, it is incumbent upon us to maximize our time at the Dartmouth. By taking advantage of opportunities in the present, we can better plan for our future.
-Sarah Perez ’17, Opinion Editor
The Center for Professional Development has a lot of great opportunities to learn about how to interview, build resumes, draft cover letters and much more. However, it’s no secret that the real meat of the matter is corporate recruiting. Obviously, companies pay a lot of money to facilitate corporate recruiting, and thus there is a conveniently filtered process to find employment in finance, banking, consulting, etc. If you’re not interested in that sort of thing, you’re mostly left with a bunch of job postings on Dartboard. That isn’t to say that Dartmouth isn’t providing a lot of access to great employers outside of finance and big business, but that the access isn’t nearly as direct. In truth, it’s not really Dartmouth’s fault that companies in fields such as journalism or film aren’t fronting cash to hire the next crop of prime candidates. Nor can we really expect Dartmouth to start paying for those employers to come recruit. It would be beneficial, however, if Dartmouth took the low-cost measures to invite more people from outside of the corporate sectors. The success of Dartmouth’s alumni network is built on a foundation of pride, innovation, diligence, intelligence, and, most importantly, nepotism. Let’s give our students better access to that last one so they can start changing the world sooner!
-Billy Peters ’15
