Among Colgate University’s most valuable resources available to students is Career Services, located in Benton Hall. With its four-year career development plan, Career Services aims to help students explore and secure positions in their desired industries. Career Services boasts an advising staff available to students wanting to get involved in any field, with certain staff members focusing on highly specialized career interests.
Associate Director of Career Development Whitney Harper serves as the common good and pre-law adviser for Colgate students. When guiding students entering careers, Harper first helps students consider where they fit into these industries.
“I see a lot of people who have really no idea where they fit within advocacy and law, but have that general idea of wanting to contribute to social justice or something similar,” Harper said. “But I also have people who say, ‘I’ve known I wanted to be a lawyer since I was two years old.’ As a career advisor, I have to modify my approach based on where they are in that development process and get them tools and resources to explore further.”
For students who decide they wish to attend law school, Harper is prepared to guide them through the process. From determining a timeline that works for them, finding summer internships and shadowing experiences, selecting the law schools best suited to students and preparing application materials, Harper supports students wherever they are in their pre-law journey.
Assistant Director of Career Development and Business Adviser Laura Chrissley specializes in helping students interested in careers ranging from finance and consulting to marketing and real estate. Like Harper, Chrissley meets with many students who feel they must adhere to a strict course of action to achieve their professional goals.
“I find that a lot of students come in with the mentality that they have to be a certain major, go after a certain career path, etc. in order to be successful,” Chrissley said. “I try to break things down into smaller pieces when I work with students in order to help them really figure out what is the best fit for them. This is done in a variety of ways, but a lot of it boils down to the foundation of knowing your own skills, interests and values and being able to articulate those in a way that shows you are a good fit for a career path.”
Another very common industry of interest for Colgate students is health and wellness, which Senior Assistant Director of Career Development and Career Adviser James Reed helps students explore. As the health and wellness pre-professional adviser, James Reed specializes in assisting students aiming to enter the medical field, whether that means applying to medical school, physician’s assistant school, or another related post-grad plan. Like Harper, Reed emphasized the importance of exploring what one is best suited to throughout their career development.
“One of the most common pieces I find myself giving to students is [that] it’s not about the best — it’s about what’s best for you, given where you’re at right now and given the goals and the priorities that you have,’” Reed said.
Reed also expressed the importance of students exploring their interests thoroughly to develop the confidence to choose the career path best suited for them.
“I really focus on promoting agency and helping undergraduate students understand that you should feel empowered to make these decisions,” Reed said.
The strength of the Colgate alumni network is a major draw for many Colgate students. Reed highlighted the unique role connecting with alumni can play in learning more about various careers and in building a network.
“I talk to students about networking to help them understand the networking tools that they have available to them through LinkedIn,” Reed said. “It might feel a little bit uncertain or scary to pick up the phone and hit ‘send’ on that message to reach out to alumni. As I’m coaching students, I tell them that the Colgate alumni network is fantastic. In terms of helping students make those connections, it’s about helping them understand that their questions are valid. The alumni were in the same spot at some point.”
Harper also stressed the importance of forming relationships with alumni, not only for career exploration purposes but also because these connections could prove valuable in the future.
“Alumni and networking play a really great role in exploring different careers. If you don’t really know much about something, talking to someone who works in that field is really beneficial,” Harper said. “You’re also building a coalition of connections, and you never know when that’s going to be important in your life.”
Chrissley expressed that networking is particularly vital in careers under the business umbrella.
“Alumni can be helpful […] as students are actively seeking opportunities. They can help with interview preparation or, in some cases, even provide a referral in the process,” Chrissley said. “I help students make these connections often by referring them to younger alumni who I worked with while they were students here at Colgate, [and] by helping them navigate things like LinkedIn to optimize their outreach strategy as they begin networking.”
Colgate Career Services’ advising team aims to guide students through the career development process. Pre-professional advisors allow students to feel safe in exploring the industries they are drawn to so they feel confident when deciding on a career best suited to them. From facilitating networking with alumni to helping students secure valuable summer experiences to assisting with graduate school applications, the Career Services pre-professional advisers provide Colgate students with the tools to propel them into successful careers.
