Letter from the Dean February 2020

Dear Families,

I'm going to focus our message this month on the resources and opportunities offered by our Center for Professional Development (CPD). The CPD supports all Dartmouth undergraduates - from their first year through Commencement - as they explore career interests, identify and apply for jobs and internships, prepare for interviews, and apply the benefits of their world-class liberal arts education in the working world. 

In early January, for example, the CPD winter kick-off for first-year students drew over 120 '23s for a panel discussion featuring older students' reflections and advice about first year summer activities. Earlier this month, more than 150 first-years and sophomores attended a new Internship Resource Fair featuring fourteen campus departments that offer internships, funding and advice about opportunities in areas ranging from energy and sustainability to social impact and public policy. CPD staff appeared at dinners and drop-ins in three of our House Communities, and offered a wide variety of educational and skill-building workshops, including: 

•    Networking Strategy: Cultivating Connections and Conversations
•    How to Write a Great Cover Letter
•    Social Impact Careers
•    Resume Jam for '23s
•    Find Your Fit: Internships for '22s and '23s
•    How to Crush an Interview
•    First Gen/Low Income Trail Blazers: Stories About Finding Your Path
•    LinkedIn Jam: Build and Optimize Your Profile in an Hour
•    Charting Your Course for '20s and '21s

Looking ahead to spring term, the CPD will continue to offer a robust schedule of workshops, and will host its third annual spring term internship and job fair on April 3. The fair, which drew nearly 650 students last year, enables students to meet with more than 40 employers about jobs and internships. The wide variety of sectors represented this year include education and teaching, health, government, tech, finance, publishing - and more. If your student is here on campus this spring, please encourage them to attend. Later in April, students can also apply through the CPD for Student Experiential Learning Fund (SELF) support for summer internships and other experiential learning projects. Students can schedule appointments, register for programs and stay up to date on CPD events, resources, and listings through Dartboard, CPD's dedicated, one-stop portal. 

Finally, with the end of term and exams rapidly approaching, please do encourage your students to ask for help if they need it. The Undergraduate Deans Office, the Counseling Center, the Health Service, deans on call, and all of our campus resources are here for them. 

With very best wishes,

Kathryn Lively
Dean of the College
Professor of Sociology