Career road tripping: Hiatt shows first-years professional success is a journey
By Julian Cardillo ’14
Photography by Dan Holmes
August 25, 2025
Careers are journeys that often wind and weave, not job titles determined by single choices.
At an orientation event Sunday, staff from the Hiatt Career Center invited first-years to embrace this philosophy and think creatively about how a Brandeis liberal arts education can help shape their future.
“Brandeis is a liberal arts institution, and while you’re here, you’ll develop a strong foundation that helps you think broadly and deeply about what you want to do,” said Hiatt Career Center executive director Jon Schlesinger. “Your career isn’t just one job or one decision.”
Hiatt Career Center staff helped members of the Class of 2029 get a jump on career planning, with career counselors hosting three breakout sessions, each one tailored to new students with varying degrees of certainty about their academic interests or potential career paths.
One session, titled “I think I know what I’d like to do after Brandeis,” enabled students with fully-formed career goals to explore how the Brandeis experience — with its academic curriculum, clubs and alumni network — could help them along their journey.
The second session, titled “I think I know what I want to study,” explored how academic interests and potential majors connect to career paths — often in unexpected ways.
A third session, titled “I’m not sure what I’m interested in,” helped first-years take their first steps toward exploring all of the university’s academic, personal growth and extracurricular resources.
Students attended two sessions to help illuminate their path and gain insight.
“It’s completely OK to come in with no idea what you want to study or do. These sessions are designed to help you start exploring different opportunities,” said career counselor Xiaoyi Zhang. “Your interests will change — and that’s totally fine. You will learn how to try things out, experiment and discover your skills and passions along the way.”
The Hiatt Career Center features an array of resources for students and alumni at any stage of their career. Each counselor is responsible for an area of academic concentration at Brandeis, as well as providing career guidance around a range of sectors, industries and vocations.
The center hosts employment fairs and guest speakers from various corporations, nonprofits, governmental entities, and NGOs. It assists with resume building, interview preparation, networking and more.
Additionally, the Hiatt Career Center website offers interactive resources that let users explore post-graduation outcomes. Employment by Industry shows where alumni work; Advancing Education highlights how Brandeis alumni pursue graduate school, and Major to Industry maps the paths from specific majors to careers. These tools help students connect their academic choices with real-world opportunities.
Zhang encouraged first-years to embrace the journey and remember that Hiatt Career Center staff is available to help.
“A career journey is like a road trip. You’re the driver, and Hiatt is the GPS,” she said. “We can give you directions, help you avoid slowdowns and suggest alternate routes, but ultimately you’re the one making the decisions.
“We’re here to listen to your story, get to know you, and help you figure out what resources or opportunities will make the most of your Brandeis experience.”
