Access2Alumni: The Arhu Advantage

Jamie Lee ’13 shares insight on what a difference Access2Alumni can make in launching a career.

\r\n Looking to gain some insight into the job market for ARHU grads? Perhaps make a few contacts? Or even land your dream internship or job?\r\n

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\r\n Then be sure that Access2Alumni is at the top of your to-do list.\r\n

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\r\n Jamie Lee ’13 knows firsthand what a difference Access2Alumni can make in launching a career.\r\n

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\r\n Jamie attended Access2Alumni as a senior and was an integral part of promotion as a student leader for Paper Shell Review. At the time, she noticed how the regular career fairs on campus didn't necessarily speak to the needs and career paths of ARHU students. Excited for a chance to network with her liberal arts peers, Jamie attended Access2Alumni--a career event created, promoted, and supported by ARHU alumni and is tailored for ARHU students exclusively.\r\n

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\r\n Still not convinced about attending Access2Alumni? Then read on for Jamie’s take on what you really need to know about the event.\r\n

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\r\n You were instrumental in helping to market A2A in 2013. How did you benefit from the event as a participant? What's the best advice you can give someone planning to attend?\r\n

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\r\n I benefited by learning about how wide-reaching my humanities degree could be in the “real world.” My advice to those planning to attend is to speak with as many people as you can, to broaden the context and understanding of how much is out there!\r\n

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\r\n  What do you enjoy most about your job at Booz Allen? Can you walk us through a typical day?\r\n

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\r\n The best part about my job is the variety of work – my projects change every few months or so, depending on the client challenge and their need for a consulting firm. Since starting, I’ve assisted a IT change project for a federal department, supported creation of a data-based model for a potential merger in the health/non-profit sector, focused on reputation for a Fortune 500 company, drafted an initial communications strategy for a commercial real estate firm, and learned a LOT from my colleagues. I don’t really have a typical day but regardless of my project, I usually switch gears pretty frequently (and write everything down so I don’t forget!) And in every project, I’ve had to write, edit, research and analyze – all skills I honed in humanities courses.\r\n

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\r\n What are you hoping to convey to students attending A2A this year?\r\n

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\r\n Time spent afraid of the job market or feeling discouraged is time wasted. Your degree is just as valuable as one in a STEM field. And keep an open mind! It's okay if you don't know exactly what you want to do yet (I still don't).\r\n

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\r\n In your speech at the English graduation ceremony in 2013, you talked about how you finally came to embrace both your major in English and the university. Since then, has the love affair continued? Have your views of either changed in any significant way?\r\n

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\r\n I’m still tremendously appreciative of the University and my degree! English equipped me with so many valuable skills beyond just writing – like critical thinking and the ability and confidence to articulate my ideas and propel them into the world (not all my ideas are great, but hey! At least I can articulate them). It's also empowered me to explore other areas (like data visualization) that at first glance might not be related to the humanities, but at its heart, data visualization is about communication, expression, and impact, all things I learned about in English classes.\r\n

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\r\n Jason Silva, host of Discovery Channel's Brain Games, said something that really resonated with me: "Human beings are linguistic to their core -- genes are coded language." I think the same is true for English and the humanities -- they're everywhere, widely applicable, and in many respects, inescapable. And that's a good thing.\r\n

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\r\n Jamie will be at the Public Relations & Communication roundtable this year, make sure you connect with her as well as our other inspiring alumni listed here: www.ter.ps/a2aalumni\r\n

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