From career workshops with VOCA to Dean Jordan’s “Beyond the Bubble” chapel series, Houghton students are frequently reminded that they will not be college students forever. The prospect of leaving Houghton for the working world may seem as daunting as it does exciting. Fortunately, there are recent graduates setting an example by establishing themselves in career paths related to their work in college. Brady Robinson, Moeun Sun, and Kevin Miranda, graduates of Houghton’s class of 2015, have each found employment in fields that they were prepared for by their experiences at Houghton.
Robinson, a former Media Communications and Visual Arts major, now works on contract as a Media Specialist in the marketing department for the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado. During his junior year, Robinson says he was specifically looking for an internship in Colorado in which he could work in videography and photography. He found such a position with the YMCA of the Rockies through the online job board Cool Works, and worked for the organization in the summer of 2014. At the beginning of the spring 2015 semester, Robinson informed his former supervisors that he was interested in returning to the YMCA. By the end of February break he had completed the job application process.
“I accepted the position shortly after returning back to school from break,” said Robinson. “Knowing that I had a job after graduation took a lot of weight off my shoulders and allowed me to concentrate on coursework.”
Sun, another a recent graduate, also found her current position through an internship she worked during the summer before her senior year. Sun now works in Washington, DC as a Communications Fellow at the Alliance to End Hunger, a coalition that works with institutions to address world hunger. A double major in International Development and Business Administration, Sun gained a lot of work experience during her time at Houghton through positions as an RA, an ARD, a TA, and as a student coordinator for the Faith and Justice Symposiums. It was ultimately her position as an intern for the Bread for the World Institute, an organization that works also works to end hunger, that helped her find the position she holds now at the Alliance, a sister organization to Bread for the World.
“My supervisor at Bread knew that I was looking for a job for after graduation,” said Sun. “He told me about an opening at the Alliance. When I interned, I worked really hard and tried to make a lasting impression on my supervisors. The staff at the Institute were able to provide good references, which I think is what helped me get this job.”
Miranda, who recently began his career in New York City working for the accounting firm KPMG, did not find his employment as the direct result of an internship. He graduated this past year with a degree in Business and Accounting, and while he never had an internship in his field, he says that he was able to interview for the job at KPMG with confidence due to what he had learned at Houghton. He also credits the connections his Houghton education provided him.
“I found my position through networking with professionals in the city,” said Miranda. “Most of them I found through Houghton alumni and they were very helpful in not only guiding me towards a good connection, but also towards God.”
Robinson also emphasized the importance of networking in order to find the right position. He highly recommends that any student looking for work start using a LinkedIn account as if it were Facebook.
“If networking hasn’t been drilled into you enough yet, I’d urge you to be intentional about your profile by posting content that displays your interests, skills and experiences,” said Robinson when asked what advice he would give current students. “I’ve been able to make connections with other creatives and learn from people who are doing what I one day hope to be doing.”
Sun recommends that students hoping to find work next year start building contacts now so that they will have someone on the inside to reach out to when organizations post job vacancies. She also encourages students not to feel discouraged when looking for jobs, despite how arduous the task may be.
“I applied to a ton of positions in DC before I even got an interview,” she said. “Even though it was really hard, you just have to keep applying without giving up. Something will come up eventually.”