Hiatt offering nationwide networking opportunities

Programs include Career and Internship Connection Fairs, site visits and networking

The Hiatt Career Center is offering Brandeis students 17 unique opportunities during January to meet alumni and employers who are eager to help them jump-start their career exploration and make the most of their winter break. There are Career and Internship Connection (CIC) Fairs in fives cities across the country; employer site visits in Boston and New York and alumni networking events in New York and Washington, DC.

CIC fairs include open networking with over 200 employers in the morning with an opportunity to interview on-site in the afternoon.  The fairs are open exclusively to Brandeis students and 16 other select schools.  Over the past two years, Brandeis students have excelled at CIC fairs, receiving over 200 interviews at these events.

Joshua Mandell ’11 has attended the New York City CIC fair for the past two years and has had great success.

“Last winter break at the fair, I met with a representative from Grey NY, an advertising agency, and I was lucky enough to be offered a summer internship position. If I hadn't taken a day during my winter break to go and help plan for my summer, I wouldn't have gotten this chance that will hopefully turn into a full-time job down the line,” says Mandell. “If it's not getting an internship or a job, it's making connections and opening new doors full of possibilities. The CIC fair may be a bit overwhelming, but it's a great opportunity that shouldn't be turned down. “

For students interested in exploring specific employers or fields, Hiatt is offering site visits to prominent employers' offices in Boston and New York. Students will get behind-the-scenes tours and the opportunity to meet alumni and senior executives in the fields of finance, biotech, consulting, advertising, publishing and more.

“Even though the primary goal of the site visits is educational – we want students to think about whether they can see themselves in these professions – Brandeis students received internships from three out of five employers who hosted visits in Spring 2011, making these events really worthwhile for our students in other ways as well,” says Cary Weir Lytle ’98, Associate Director of Employer Relations, Hiatt Career Center.

“In fact, Hiatt has expanded its winter programming this year due to the increasing success that students have experienced in previous years,” adds Weir Lytle.

Hiatt has also partnered with the Alumni Club of Washington, DC, and the New York Regional Alumni Clubs to host networking receptions for students and alumni in those cities. These events offer a fun, casual atmosphere for students to network with alumni who work in career fields and geographic areas of interest to them.

Jonathan M. Salky '98, co-president of the Alumni Club of New York City, describes the reception as an opportunity to practice networking skills, which will pay off in the future for students and alumni alike.

“Good networking skills pay dividends not just as a student looking for a job but also later on as a professional looking to expand one’s business reach or switch careers,” Salky says. As an alumnus, he is looking to current Brandeis students to learn what the next generation of professionals has to offer.

“All businesses, big and small, rely on talented and interested individuals to prosper, and I’m always looking out for talent," Salky said. "I want to know what job candidates think they bring to the table. A relaxed setting such as the networking event, as opposed to a formal interview, is the perfect place to find out.”

The Hiatt staff encourages students -- whether they are searching for a job or internship or simply exploring a new career path -- to give themselves the gift of networking this winter break.  More details are available on Hiatt’s Winter Break web page.