Pomona College Career Development Office

Chelsea Ahn and Denisse Jover spent some time with the Hydrafacial TA and HR teams at their Experience Center in Long Beach to learn about current internship opportunities and how to continue building a successful partnership for current and former students 😌 ✨

The CDO has some exciting news... 👀

The Career Leadership Collective () selected the Smart Start Career Fellows Program as a recipient of their 2023 Career Innovation Award!

We are honored by this recognition and grateful to our staff who work hard to provide these opportunities to our students 💙

Our Peer Advisors are more than just their role in our office -- they are outstanding students and people 💙

Today, we celebrated our Sagehens during our 2023 Peer Advisor Year End Celebration 🎉 Thank you for everything you bring and brought to our office, from your professionalism to your fun! And to our senior peers (we miss you already!), we wish you the very the best on your post-graduate journey.

The CDO, in partnership with the International & Domestic Programs Office and the Academic Deans Office, hosted a Pre-Departure Orientation for 22 students planning on interning/researching abroad this summer to feel more prepared for their travels ✈️ 🌎 Good luck, Sagehens!

Happy first day of May, Sagehens! ✨

We hope you enjoyed Alumni Weekend and found some time to rest. Here are some more highlights from Chirp & Chat, our student and alumni networking mixer! We had a wonderful time hosting, and are already looking forward to next year.

Chirp, Chirp 💙

Pomona Alum Mario A. Gaviria '18 discloses a guide for exploring the career space of patent law for a chemistry Ph.D. scientist 🔬

"Learning chemistry, obtaining a degree in chemistry, and loving chemistry don’t necessarily mean that you are locked into working as a professor or a bench chemist," he writes. "Are you a Ph.D. scientist exploring career options outside of academia or industry—specifically patent law? You might be wondering how to break into this space and determine whether this is a field you would enjoy."

Link in bio to read the full article 🔗

✨ Pomona Alumni Spotlight ✨

Gerardo Rodriguez graduated from Pomona in 2022 majoring in Latin American Studies with a minor in Politics. He is currently working at Goldberg Kohn, a commercial law firm in Chicago, as a Litigation Analyst.

"My time at Pomona was constructed by the wonderful experiences and mentorship offered to me by faculty, programs, and clubs in our community. Engaging in an open conversation that included difficult and complex ideologies was the norm with Professor Miguel Tinker Salas. It pressured me to become comfortable engaging with notions of our world that never made a path into my thoughts. Programs such as Smart Start, through the CDO, made me realize that even as a first-generation and low-income student, I am more than capable of not only envisioning but being able of becoming part of organizations and firms that are changing the world. As a writing partner at the Writing Center, I was able to visualize and understand the multitude of forms that writing can take, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This has allowed me to be better equipped to write my thoughts more coherently and clearly. Lastly, I appreciate the community that FLI Scholars was able to foster for many students who may have felt like they were not worthy or could belong at Pomona.

To all those students, you are powerful, and you are capable." 💙

⚠️ Happening Now⚠️

Grab a donut and say hello to the Deloitte team! Join PO alums Brandon Tran '21 and Daniel Garcia '21 and CMC alum Shreya Chatterjee '22 at Bixby Plaza now - 1 p.m.

Alumni Spotlight ✨ Evangeline Erickson PO '22 currently works as a Fundraising Specialist at Goodman Campaigns, the only downballot-first digital fundraising firm in the United States.

"My proudest accomplishment at Goodman Campaigns so far has been raising $1.1 million for Judge Janet Protasiewicz over email, text, and D-2-D ads and helping her win this year's critical Supreme Court race in Wisconsin! There are so many Pomona experiences that I credit with helping me get to where I am today, but the most impactful would have to be the CDO's Smart Start Program for first-gen, low-income sophomores. Through Smart Start, I learned about different industries, was taught how to informational interview, received a professional clothing stipend, and was able to attend an industry exploration trip in Seattle, WA at no personal cost to me. On the Seattle trip, I was able to connect with some amazing alumni and really think about the kind of impact I wanted to be making post-graduation, which is what led me to my work in progressive politics today."

Just because it is the end of National Student Employee Appreciation Week, that doesn't mean we stop appreciating our student employees 💙 Collins, Krystal, and Beliz, thank you for all you do for the CDO and your peers! 💯 🤩

Day 3 ✨ Olivia, Kevin, and Hayley bring a calming, insightful, and kind energy to our office, which we are so grateful for! Thank you and Happy National Student Employee Appreciation Week 💙

Day 2 ✨ Tara, Sui and Ulas have done so much for the CDO. It wouldn't be National Student Employee Appreciation Week without acknolwedging all they have done and continue to do to support their peers 💙

The Student Employment Team spent time today at the Gratitude Station 💙 ✨

They invited our Pomona Community to pick up Thank You cards for their student employees -- a small way to say thank you for all they do 😄

Day 1 ✨ Happy National Student Employee Appreciation Week!

We're kicking off with Amanda, Aylin, and Vids -- thank you for all you do for the Career Development Office and our team, we are lucky to have you 💙

It's National Student Employee Appreciation Week! 🎉

Every day this week, the CDO will be celebrating our incredible Peer Advisors and all of the amazing ways each of them support our office, their fellow students, and each other 💙

Coloring + Coffee for ☕💕 Thank you everyone for stopping by!

Happy Tuesday, Sagehens 👋 Check out this interview with Pomona Alum Juliette Cagigas '98, Senior Executive Director of Foundation Relations at City of Hope ✨

The Career Development Office publishes Sagehen Snacks, which are informational interviews led by our incredible Peer Advisors, who connect with Pomona College Alumni to learn more about their post-Pomona career journey, as well as gain insights into career paths throughout various industries.

Watch on our YouTube Channel:

Interview with Juliette Cagigas '98, Senior Executive Director, Foundation Relations at City of Hope The Career Development Office publishes Sagehen Snacks, which are informational interviews led by our incredible Peer Advisors, who connect with Pomona Colle...

Hey, Sagehens 👋

Chirp & Chat is coming up (sort of) and we're super excited to host Alumni and students at our networking mixer on Friday, April 28 during Alumni Weekend 😎 Join us! There will be light refreshments and a chance for you (Alumni) to share your experience and for you (students) to build your professional network 💯

Register: https://buff.ly/3ZOa7e8

Interested in Data Science? 👀

Check out this interview with Pomona Alum Preet Khowaja '20 who is currently pursuing an M.S. in Data Science at Duke University and interning at Afiniti ✨

The Career Development Office publishes Sagehen Snacks, which are informational interviews led by our incredible Peer Advisors, who connect with Pomona College Alumni to learn more about their post-Pomona career journey, as well as gain insights into career paths throughout various industries.

Watch on our YouTube Channel: https://buff.ly/3JLtNIG

⚠️ Attention Sagehens! ⚠️

The PCIP Summer Domestic Application CLOSES at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21 via SurveyMonkey Apply so if you're interested in a domestic, unpaid, summer internship and want to apply for funding, now is the time!

PCIP Applications: https://buff.ly/40lxICV

Thank you Sagehens for attending our Law School Mock Admissions Panel & Lunch ✨ We had a great time with our panel of law school admissions deans.

This panel gave students insight into the law school admissions process and offered an opportunity to ask questions 💯

Join us for more prelaw, graduate, fellowship, and career education programs by registering via Handshake!

Interested in portfolio management? ✨ Check out this interview with Pomona Alum Jenn Wilcox Thomas '08, Managing Director at Hall Capital Partners!

The Career Development Office publishes Sagehen Snacks, which are informational interviews led by our incredible Peer Advisors, who connect with Pomona College Alumni to learn more about their post-Pomona career journey, as well as gain insights into career paths throughout various industries.

Interview with Pomona Alum Jenn Wilcox Thomas '08, Managing Director at Hall Capital Partners The Career Development Office publishes Sagehen Snacks, which are informational interviews led by our incredible Peer Advisors, who connect with Pomona Colle...

SCC Four Corners is now seeking crew member applicants to join our AIM Ecological Monitoring crews! We are hoping to fill multiple positions throughout Colorado and New Mexico in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management!! These positions have various start and end dates; please visit our website for complete job descriptions!!

Attention Sagehens! 👋

Christian Tanja (he/him), Assistant Director of Admissions for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, will be providing an information session for the Claremont Colleges from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23. This is Stanford’s fully-funded fellowship for ANY graduate program 👀

Link 🔗 to register: https://buff.ly/3LdT0xC

ATTENTION SAGEHENS AND SAGEHEN ALUMNI 📢

Students: Looking for a fun, in-person opportunity to meet and network with Pomona Alumni? Alumni: Looking for a fun, in-person opportunity to meet and network with current students?

You're invited to Chirp & Chat, a student and alumni networking mixer from 1:30 - 3 p.m. Friday, April 28 at the Smith Campus Center Courtyard/South Lawn 😎

Students: Connect and chat with Pomona Alumni to learn about experience and career paths beyond the gates and build your professional network!
Alumni: Meet and greet with current students and share your experience!

Refreshments will be served ✨

We encourage Alumni to register for Alumni Weekend online, and students can register for Chirp & via Handshake: https://buff.ly/3ZOa7e8

The CDO X Searchlight Pictures! 🤩

Thank you to the Searchlight Pictures team, Alumni Zahra Phillips '10 and Jordan Cohen '12, and everyone who made our site visit possible for 16 of our Sagehens 💙 We had a great time and wanted to share some key takeaways from our discussions with our Pomona Alumni and the Searchlight assistants:

✅ It's okay as a senior to graduate without a job, just keep applying
✅ Cover letters should have a story, a compelling narrative
✅ Leave each networking conversation with at least 2 more people you can reach out to
✅ Take on as many internships in the industry that you can (come talk to the CDO about PCIP!)
✅ Starting out in assistant roles allow you to better understand what work you'd like to do in the industry
✅ Entertainment Industry specific: Keep track of people you meet/know in the industry and their relationships to other people you know
✅ Be professional but chill - Jordan 😄

Today, 16 Pomona Students are visiting Searchlight Pictures () with Pomona Alumni Zahra Phillips '10, Director of Production and Jordan Cohen '12, VP of Television 🤩

Thank you Zahra and Jordan! 💙

Sagehens! Don't forget to register by March 13!!

Sophomore/Junior Career Check-In - Identifying & Utilizing Your Strengths

Maximum Attendees: 20 (19 Remaining)

Pomona students only! This is the first event in the Sophomore/Junior Career Check-In, a four-part series designed to support sophomores’ and juniors’ next steps in their career exploration and planning.

Assessment and understanding of your own strengths and skills can be incredibly valuable in every step of the job search process. From identifying possible careers to speaking about your strengths in an interview, to utilizing your talents in an internship or first job, knowing yourself can be foundational for your success. In this workshop, you will have access to the Clifton Strengths assessment, a tool that will help you identify and understand your top five talents. This reflective workshop will be facilitated by a certified Clifton Strengths Coach and will give you the opportunity to better understand how to utilize your strengths in your job search.

The assessment will be offered to the first 20 students who register. We will have an open waitlist as well. Registrants will receive a separate email with a link to the assessment, which must be completed by March 15.

PCIP 'Appy' Hour at the AARC 💯 ✨

Thank you to the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) for hosting the CDO's Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP) 'Appy' Hour, where students enjoyed snacks and got to work on their PCIP applications!

The next 'Appy' Hour is April 13 -- Find more information on our website, link 🔗 in bio

Meet PO Alum Gabrielle Ohlson '22, who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon 😎

"I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Robotics at Carnegie Mellon, where I am researching computational machine knitting to fabricate sensorially assistive devices for autism. I studied art in undergrad at Pomona, so I initially felt overwhelmingly out of place in my robotics program amongst students with proper STEM backgrounds. However, I have found that my art education at Pomona is what enabled me to become the researcher I am today, as my professors and community taught me how to problem-solve creatively and develop self-led, interdisciplinary projects. I also appreciate my experience at Pomona for the ways in which I was supported as a disabled, autistic person—my educational and social communities empowered me to overcome barriers in academia, giving me a chance to have a say in the research about autism, which is often dominated by neurotypicals."

Congratulations Gabrielle, we are so proud of you and wish you the best of luck as you continue your education journey! 💙

Pomona College and the Career Development Office are excited to share the First Destination Report for the Class of 2022 🙌

This report features data that was gathered through surveys and data mining. Our office collects data through the end of the calendar year to reflect opportunities obtained by recent graduates following The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. This report highlights the career destinations for our most recent alumni who graduated from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

Read the full report by visiting the Outcomes page on the Pomona College website:
https://buff.ly/3XVnGHi

✨ PO Alum and Internship Spotlight ✨

After graduating from Pomona, Ciannah Correa PO '22 accepted an internship with The National Academy of Social Insurance, a nonprofit research think tank, based in Washington, D.C.

During her internship, Ciannah worked with the Kaiser Family Foundation to compare and understand differences across Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurance companies.

"Last summer we had the pleasure of accepting Ciannah into our program. Pomona should be very proud – she was an outstanding intern!" -- Ariella Jailal, Program Coordinator at The National Academy of Social Insurance

Correa is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in health policy and management at the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health 🙌

TOMORROW 🤩 Join the CDO, the International Student Mentor Program (.pomona), and International Alumni for a "Voices of Experience" Panel!

Meet Cybele Kappos PO '17, M.A., UCLA Graduate Researcher in Political Science, Iren Azra PO '21, Software Developer II at Schrodinger, Linda Yilin Wen PO '20, M.S., Microsoft AI Resident/Design Researcher, and Rachel Davidson PO '14, M.A., University Guidance Counsellor at Collingwood School.

Hear the stories of our international panelists, and the decisions that shaped their professional and educational journey -- there will be time for a discussion at the end, which we hope will help you foster connections and gain clarity on your own path ✨

Link 🔗 to register in bio!

Over 50 Sagehens attended the RHS x CDO "Professionalism & Pastries" Headshot Event in Bixby Plaza! 📷 😄 So fun! Check your email next week for notifications regarding your headshot. Thank you for joining us 💙

Thank you for stopping by, Sagehens! 😄

The Career Development Office (CDO) had a great time partnering with Claremont McKenna College’s Career Center to host the Spring 2023 Consulting Meet-Up, where we welcomed 13 employers with representitives from Mckinsey & Company, BCG, Bain & Company, and others, who met with students from across the 5Cs.

Thank you to all of the participating employers, and the Pomona Alumni who came to meet and greet with approximately 107 Pomona students -- we appreciate all of you 💯

Meet PO Alum Jayden Saldana '22, recipient of the California Executive Fellowship 👏

"I would not have received the California Executive Fellowship without the consistent support of faculty members like Professor Michael Green and Professor Amanda Hollis-Brusky. Since the day I transferred to the college, they have always been willing to help me navigate and attain opportunities for success. Aside from Pomona’s top-of-the-line professors, the education I received as part of the college’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program has left me with the analytical skills necessary to approach the State’s most consequential problems. I know that I will continue to draw on the foundation I established at Pomona as I begin my career in public service."

Congratulations Jayden, and best of luck as you continue on your journey 💙

More Smart Start fun 😎

Students visited Holland & Knight, Accenture, AlphaSights, Handshake, and Google!

Meet PO Alum Sofia Dartnell '22, recipient of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 🙌

"Pomona's small class sizes allowed me to develop close relationships with my professors. The unique opportunity for one-on-one mentorship during my undergraduate years helped me discover my love of ecological research. Working with Professor Marty Meyer at the Bernard Field Station inspired my passion for field studies and landscape-scale insect conservation. I am grateful for the support and guidance of my mentors and the CDO as I pursued post-graduate fellowships and have loved my time at the University of Cambridge so far."

Congratulations Sofia, and best of luck as you continue on your education journey 💙

Did you know? The Career Development Office offers a program known as Smart Start, a career-intensive initiative for sophomore, first-generation college students.

After weeks of 1:1 meetings with our advisors and participating in rigorous and supportive programming, our Smart Start Fellows arrived in San Francisco where they networked with Pomona Alumni and other career professionals at Google, AlphaSights, and others!

Congratulations to our 2022-23 Fellows! 😄 🎉

Happy first day of classes, Sagehens! 🎉

The Career Development Office is excited to kick off the Spring 2023 Semester with all of you. Our office is open in-person and virtually from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon. - Fri. and we are located at Alexander Hall. Stop by and use our study space, check out our website and digital resources, book a private interview room, and talk to us about career advising! 💙

Don't forget to check out our Spring 2023 Event Calendar, which is now live on our website, and register today! 😎

*Events are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information, please view events in Handshake.