Cardinal Connections – Far and Near
As a member of the Class of 2020, the Fisher family could not be more important to me. This includes my current student companions, alumni, faculty, and staff; all of whom have come together during this time to support each other, lift each other up, and guide each other.
I am involved on campus as the executive intern for the Office of Marketing and Communications, a resident assistant, and recent study abroad student. I am moving down to the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area in early May and like many of my classmates, I am in the midst of an active job search.
In a time like this, job searching can be daunting for recent grads. For me, I have found solace and guidance in connecting with Fisher alumni, something I truly believe all current students should be doing. It has been astonishing to see how willing alumni have been to hop on a phone call whether it be in the early hours of the morning or late at night, whenever they had the time.
In my conversations with them at first, I wasn't sure what to say, how to say it, or really even what I wanted to know. But over time, I learned that it wasn't about what I should say or what I specifically wanted to know. It was about listening to the unique stories of each alumnus and connecting their experiences to my own life. Each story, while vastly different from the last, has had some consistencies:
- “Once you get your first job, the rest seem to fall into place.” Although many agreed that job searching was one of the hardest tasks they've done, the general consensus was that luckily, for many, they only had to do it once. I don't know about other seniors, but that pushes me to work even harder this time if I know it might be the only time I have to do it.
- “You don’t have to have a job right out of school.” Even though we are all anxiously searching and hoping for an amazing opportunity, sometimes patience is a virtue that can pay off in the long run. To me, it felt like everyone had a plan but me. However, even many successful Fisher alumni will tell you that they may have even had to wait for some time to find a job and they are doing just fine now.
- “Make connections, find mentors, create a network, and then foster those professional relationships.” Perhaps this is the most important of all advice in a time like this. When I asked many alumni what I should be doing right now, this is exactly what they said. I encourage all seniors to reach out to at least three Fisher alumni within the next couple weeks to start these connections and foster those relationships - you never know what will come of a single conversation.
It is a time like this where I am thankful to have chosen Fisher and I’m sure I speak on behalf of all students in this regard. Additionally, I would encourage all students to take advantage of the opportunity at Fisher to connect with our broad alumni network.
This article was written by Darienne Slocum ’20, a marketing major in the School of Business.