Article By: Derek Anderson

Career Week has hit Suffolk once again, and continues with events that cater to all different groups of students until Nov. 6. These events cover the wide variety of topics related to what happens after college. By bringing in professionals and Suffolk alumni, Career Week works towards preparation for the next step, whether it be graduate school or finding an occupation.

According to Betsy McDowell, Associate Director of Career Services at Suffolk, Career Week is supposed to highlight the idea of getting involved and to see how careers are linked to students’ studies and activities.

“I think it’s so important for students to take a few minutes or hours to take a look at career planning,” said McDowell.

The events throughout Career Week offer multiple opportunities for students to learn about the work force and find what interests them. Since the Oct. 26, events have been going on in and around Suffolk. Some of the bigger events that have already taken place are the Job Search for Seniors event, the Criminal Justice Careers event, and the Professional Dining Etiquette event.

“This year, the events have been really well attended,” said McDowell. “We’ve had a really great turnout so far.”

Each event planned through Career Week applies to all sorts of audiences. From the international student event, Career Possibilities for International Students, to events on graduate school, Career Week is open to everyone. This year the Criminal Justice Careers event had great attendance, according to McDowell. Some events change with the year, but some stay the same. The Etiquette Dining event at the Omni Parker House is one of the constant events Career Services hosts.

“We usually put 15 programs in each year. We want to hit the wide interests that students have,” said McDowell.

Career Week has had a few changes this year to adapt to the country’s economic status. Because of the recession, some events have been geared towards getting over that large obstacle that is in college students’ way. The first event of Career Week was a basic Q and A where students could ask any questions regarding job searches and how to get a job with the current economy. The Job Search for Seniors event was also a new event to prepare graduating seniors for the future and how to get a quality job in their area of study.

There are still events throughout this week that may be of interest to students. McDowell suggested that the biggest events still left are the annual Major/Minors expo on Thursday, where freshmen and sophomores can be aided in making decisions on their majors and the Grad School Option event on Friday, where the idea of graduate school will be discussed and how to deal with it in the current recession.

Overall, the Career Week has had its share of events so far and McDowell has said they’ve been very successful. There are still opportunities, such as the Majors/Minors Expo on Thursday and the Grad School Option event on Friday, to go to and learn about what comes next after college.