1,806 attend 2nd annual institute-wide Career Exploration Series

For the second year, CAPD coordinated an institute-wide Career Exploration Series during the fall and IAP. The series is a collaboration between DLCs, employers, and alumni to help all students learn about different career and graduate/professional school options available to them.

The series consisted of ­­­71 events (55 during fall, 16 during IAP), a 12% increase compared with the first year of the series, while attendance had a 50% increase with 1,806 attendees. The number of employer and external event hosts also grew, with a total of 17 compared to 11 in 2022.

Ten Departments, Labs, and Centers (DLC) organized more than half of the events in the series. The DLCs included the Math and Biological Engineering departments, Mech E Alliance, UPOP, UROP, the International Students Office (ISO), NEET AM, Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), and MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium (MCSC).

Here’s what some students had to say about the events:

I just love hearing about the often windy paths that people took to get to where [they] are as a reminder that I don’t have to have things figured out.”

-Master’s student who attended the CAPD Infinite Careers event featuring Elyse Neumeier, Chief People Officer at Cometeer

“I took away the general rules of thumb to look at when thinking about a career in sustainability, looking at something that I am good at, that is needed, and that makes a satisfactory impact on sustainability for my requirements. I also greatly enjoyed connecting with folks much further into their careers in sustainability, learning the mistakes or insights they discovered along their journey.”

– Sophomore at CAPD/MCSC/ESI event Careers in Sustainability

The series will run again in fall 2023 with the goal of providing students with opportunities to explore various career and graduate/professional school paths by connecting them with industry leaders, alumni, graduate/professional school admissions representatives, and DLCs across MIT. The Assistant Director of Career Exploration will begin recruiting student leaders in spring 2023 and communicating with departments and external partners in late spring and early summer 2023. Contact Tianna Ransom (transom@mit.edu) if you’d like more information and ways to get involved.

Logo for the series designed by the Career Exploration Leader Sabrina Hu, Class of 2025.

By Tianna Ransom
Tianna Ransom Assistant Director, Career Exploration