Graduating seniors embark on careers all over the map

Teaching in Japan.

Studying for a master’s degree in public policy in Australia.

Teaming up with a consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

Post-graduation plans for members of the Connecticut College Class of 2005 are shaping up as their undergraduate status draws to a close, and for this year’s seniors, the job market looks promising.

According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, organizations expect their hiring of college graduates to be up 13 percent over 2003-2004 levels, said Jack Tinker, director of recruiting in CC’s Office of Career Enhancing Life Skills (CELS).

The outlook began improving last year after a dismal three-year span, he said.

As in years past, many CC graduates will be moving to New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., to pursue a variety of opportunities. Finance continues to be a popular field for graduates although it had been “extremely hard to access since September 11, the fall of the dot-coms, and the significant drop in stock values,” Tinker said.

Not so this year. Seniors are receiving job offers from renowned firms like Citigroup, Barclays Capital and American Express, among others.

Many graduates are also charting their own course after Commencement, taking the career path less traveled.

Bradley Schwimmer ’05 will join Massachusetts Premiere Soccer, an organization that owns three semi-pro soccer teams and a series of youth teams that compete on a state and national level, as director of league sales and tournaments. He will be responsible for organizing and hosting youth and professional soccer tournaments for teams across the United States. He will help them with sponsorship and coaching.

A double major in psychology and sociology, Schwimmer captained the squash team this year and served as governor of Harkness House. He said his experiences at CC helped him gain confidence in his abilities.

“Acquiring the tools that CC helped me develop, I feel ready and excited to make my next transition,” he said. “The experience I had at CC made me more than ready to go out into the ‘real world’ and be successful.”

Scholarly pursuits are also on the agenda for some seniors who will go on to graduate school. David Jacob ’05 plans to study ecosystem management at Duke University’s Nicholas School of Environmental Sciences. A zoology major who is pining for a career in conservation work, Jacob was attracted to Duke’s “tight-knit community.” He is thankful for the support he received from CELS counselor Lori Balantic throughout the application process.

“I'm hoping that at Duke I’ll be able to narrow my focus,” he said. “I know I don’t want a typical 9-to-5 job where I’m stuck behind a desk all day.”

Some seniors, like religious studies major Joanna Lindner ’05, will work and study. After spending a semester each in Australia and New Zealand during her junior year, Lindner said she is “anxious to go back.” She will attend the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and study for a master’s in public policy.

Before starting school in 2006, Lindner will follow her aspirations to work in the nonprofit sector and serve as an intern at the Center for Indigenous Studies based in Olympia, Wash., a nonprofit organization that promotes better understanding between governments and indigenous communities. She will work on a research project, help with grant-writing and prepare press releases.