Throughout the year, we’ve offered programs and workshops to help you better navigate your career path. Catch the highlights in our inaugural issue of the OCS Newsletter. We’ll offer similar programs next year, so be sure to subscribe to the OCS Google calendars for fall 2012!

As the semester draws to a close, we know that papers, projects, and final exams become top priorities. OCS will continue to be open through the end of the term and throughout the summer. If you’re looking for an internship, job, or summer opportunity, schedule an appointment to speak with one of our advisers, or stop by during drop-in hours:

Drop-In Schedules
Careers, Jobs, Internships: Monday-Friday, 1-4pm, 54 Dunster St.
Study Abroad: Monday-Friday, 2-4pm, 77 Dunster St.
Research Opportunities: Tuesday, 1-4pm, 54 Dunster St. (Room 303)
Pre-Med Online Chat: Wednesday, 3-4pm
Pre-Med Drop-Ins: Tuesday, 11am-12pm, Thursday, 3-4pm, 54 Dunster St.

Nearly concluding a busy and exciting week for the first annual Sex Week at Harvard was a panel on sexual health careers co-sponsored by the Peer Contraceptive Counselors and the Office of Career Services. Other co-sponsors included the International Women’s Rights Collective, Response Peer Counseling, ECHO Peer Counseling, Contact Peer Counseling, and SHEATH. The panel included a diverse array of experiences and opportunities for entering the field.

Lydia Shrier, a senior associate in medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston and an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, “fell into” sexual health by way of her early interest in pediatrics. After taking care of babies, Shrier became interested in adolescent health and was exposed to sexual health work. Kendra Moore, the women’s health outreach coordinator for Fenway Health, was always interested in non-profit work, especially in women’s health and LGBTQ rights. Through an AmeriCorps fellowship, Moore was introduced to sexual health. Justin Lehmiller, a social psychologist at Harvard University, described his career as “accidental, and certainly nothing my parents planned.” Having attended a small Catholic college with little exposure to such issues, Lehmiller’s eyes were opened after serving as a teaching assistant for a human sexuality course while earning his doctorate. And Karyn Evlog-Lewis, a nurse with the Massachusetts SANE program, came from law enforcement. In the course of her work, Evlog-Lewis learned about SANE and found it nicely combined her diverse interests.

“I’ve got the best job,” Shrier declared with a smile. “I get to talk about sex and drugs with students! We have fun and humorous conversations about uncomfortable topics.” Moore cherishes the one-on-one time she spends with patients. “I learn from the people I talk to every day,” she said. “I feel like I’m fighting for things that are important.” Like Moore, Evlog-Lewis values the one-on-one care of SANE nursing compared to the more impersonal task of floor nursing. “I like being able to take care of someone and feel like I’m doing something important,” she explained. And buried under a heavy – and admittedly self-imposed – workload, Lehmiller notes that “what I like is what is difficult,” yet says he still finds the motivation to get it done.

Why is sexual health important to these panelists? “Historically, women have been treated poorly in emergency rooms,” explained Evlog-Lewis. “I feel a great sense of satisfaction and hope when helping these women.” Moore observes a great deal of misinformation and shame surrounding conversations about sex, and wants to do something about it. “Sex is a part of everyone’s lives,” she said. “It’s important to make an impact and bring up the conversation among all walks of life.” Lehmiller initially became interested in sexual health because it was “fun and interesting,” but now “it’s very personally meaningful” and fulfilling to work on. And Shrier calls her a job a “real privilege,” saying that she “feels appreciated” and is able to “influence people in a tangible way.”

Did the panelists imagine they’d be where they are now while in college? “My parents picked my first major,” admitted Lehmiller with a chuckle. “I never imagined this career until I began exploring other options.” Likewise, Shrier initially focused her efforts on medical school and pediatrics. “I had no idea I’d end up here,” she said. “But after some experience with adolescent health, I realized I loved it because I could work on so many different aspects of medicine.” Evlog-Lewis earned a psychology degree because back then, the common sense was that “if you got a piece of paper, you’d get a job.” Yet she never imagined her current job, and neither did Moore. “I knew some things I wanted to do, but I wasn’t sure,” she said. “For me, it was all about different and enriching work experiences.” Certainly, she has that now.

So what advice would the panelists give to interested students? “You can go at it in any number of ways,” explained Shrier. “Decide what you’re interested in and put a path together.” Echoing the point, Moore urged the audience to “think about what skills and areas are interesting to you, and then learn as much as you can.” Lehmiller put it nicely: “what will you wake up excited to do every single day?” Answering him in the affirmative, Evlog-Lewis traced a personal history featuring several careers and ended with a simple declaration: “You have to really want to do this.” If you want it, you can do it – these panelists are living proof of this truth.

—Nicandro Iannacci, ’13

“Explore, explore, explore,” urged Sharon Kozuch, one of the panelists at the OCS event this past Friday about careers in psychology and mental health. Because the fields of psychology and mental health are highly diverse and demand fairly different skill sets and personalities, it is hard to say what the “right” path is for a given individual looking to enter this realm of the working world. So, to give the audience a well-rounded perspective on some of these possibilities, each panelist at this program spoke about his or her unique professional experiences.

Kozuch, a senior therapist and program administrator at the Dimock Community Health Center in Boston, described her career path and transition from the corporate world into non-profit and mental health work. Among other things, she noted the great value she found in volunteering as a way to gain professional experience, demonstrate your commitment, and build a network in a field that may be new to you.

As a research assistant at the BU School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Keshia Toussaint loves the daily interaction she gets to have with her clinic’s patients. “I get to talk to them on a day-to-day basis,” she explained, “and hear them voice their concerns and talk about everything.” This human interaction, for Keshia, is a daily reminder of why she wanted to go into the health care profession in the first place. Though she is currently focusing on a project looking at HIV and AIDS, she explained that her position as a research assistant has given her a great perspective on the range of roles in the field – so, for someone unsure of which area of mental health care is the right fit, starting out as a research assistant is a great option.

Alternatively, as the disability services coordinator at The New England Institute of Art, Matthew Vialva spends less time communicating directly with patients and works administratively to oversee the student support program as a whole. “I’m really busy…I wear many hats,” he put it simply, explaining that his job entails a lot of multitasking with little support, so his time for student interaction is fairly limited. Nevertheless, his position working with students at the The New England Institute of Art has afforded him a lot of opportunities and rewarding experiences. He loves his job, but warned his audience that “the mental health and social services realm is such a growing field, and it’s not an easy one. Don’t let anyone tell you that.”

What should college students do first to make their stakes in this field? Keshia emphasized the importance of having a great summer internship experience. “Being in that sort of environment is really important,” she advised. “You can get insight into different types of things you can do with an underserved population. Start early and cast a wide net.” Sharon reiterated this point, adding that networking is really useful tool for this area. “In this economy, you need to put yourself out there, but you won’t always get something in return,” she explained. “But people want to help you, and they want to be able to share their experiences.”

Because there are so many routes to explore in this field, Matthew stressed the importance of putting yourself first in the job search. “Know that you have options, and always make sure to have a plan,” he advised. “You know yourself best, so you need to do your research to know what you’re getting into, and figure out what it is that you want to do.” And though there are so many opportunities available, there’s still some room for professional creativity: “Sometimes, you have to create opportunities for yourself, because you need to get your foot in the door.”

— Julia Eger, ’14

Finding a job is never easy. Often stressful and unpredictable, the search poses challenges for any prospective employee. In the non-profit world, this kind of experience is amplified – strapped for cash and support, organizations hire selectively and only when they can, with almost no regularity to the process. Enter the Harvard FAS Office of Career Services, which recently hosted a panel of seasoned professionals to discuss life in the non-profit world and how Harvard students can set themselves up for success.

Now a Campaign Alliance Advisor at Oxfam America, Sarah Kalloch always knew she would work in the non-profit world. “I never considered another career path, though my parents wish I did!” she recalled with a chuckle, inspiring laughs from the audience. As a Harvard undergraduate, Kalloch spent most of her time with the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) volunteering for education-related programs. When she spent a year abroad in Uganda after graduation courtesy of an OCS fellowship, her perspective changed. “The world opened up to me,” Kalloch explained. “I opened a Pandora’s box of opportunities.” A job opportunity for her husband changed her plans for a brief period, in which she and he worked “6.5 days a week” for wealthy clientele in the Bahamas. Quickly realizing she wasn’t interested in that kind of work, Kalloch then spent seven years with Physicians for Human Rights before shifting to her current position with Oxfam. “Very few sectors are determined by their tax status,” she explained. “My path has been human rights and advocacy, but there are many paths – non-profits are all over the map.”

Jennifer Phillips – now a Development Consultant at Strong Women, Strong Girls – was involved early and often in the non-profit world thanks to her family background. Her mother’s involvement in politics led to her first job as a secretary for the Dukakis campaign. “I got excited by what you could do in the public sector,” she recalled. “It offered places where I could make a difference.” Indeed, Phillips made a difference across a range of opportunities, from helping The New Kids on the Block establish a non-profit foundation to managing a journalism award from the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Washington, DC. Her most formative experience came during work on juvenile justice reform; while overseeing a researcher, she learned “pretty horrific things” and became inspired to return to school at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government before working on juvenile issues in Massachusetts. After working at the HKS Institute of Politics for seven years, in addition to marriage and a child, Phillips is now working her way back into the non-profit world through consulting. “For me, my path has been about taking one issue and diving deep,” she explained. “Think about who you are and what motivates you, and then match an area of work with your motivation.”

While not technically in the non-profit world, Liam Abramson knows the landscape backwards and forwards. As the founder and CEO of Highgate Global, his work in consulting specializes in helping non-profits plan for the future, even as he admits his own future was never certain. Raised in South Africa and a resident of the U.K. for a brief spell, Abramson came to the United States in 2005, where he met his wife and decided to settle down. Originally a cellist, he quickly realized he didn’t want to restrict himself. So Abramson earned an MBA in order to pursue a long-time secondary interest: aviation. “Nobody sets out to do any one thing,” he admitted, detailing a long career weaving in and out of work in music and aviation before founding Highgate. “There is no wasted experience,” he assured the audience. “Just look for opportunities that will fulfill you the best.”

Indeed, the panelists agreed that they struggled to determine exactly what they wanted to do. “It’s totally normally to have lots of different interests, especially just coming out of college,” Kalloch said. Admitting the job search was a “difficult, soul-sucking process,” Kalloch recommended that applicants get to know ten organizations very well – instead of one hundred organizations only superficially – in order to maximize opportunity for success. Phillips agreed, suggesting that taking note of your Google searches might help give you direction on what organizations or opportunities to follow. Abramson reminded the audience that the non-profit job search is much like the for-profit job search – a prospective employee needs to network and find the people that can help you. “Remember, not every non-profit is a social change organization,” he explained. “Know what you want to do, choose a broad sector – art, social change, what have you – and pursue it.”

But how do you earn an entry-level job at an organization where you don’t have a great deal of experience? “Learn the buzzwords of your field,” suggested Kalloch. “Figure out ways to pitch your skills and experience to a particular employer.” International organizations, for example, will be looking for experience living abroad for a significant amount of time. And given that most applicants will have a great list of experiences, your cover letter can make a huge difference. “Let people know what you want to do and what you’re trying to do,” Phillips said. “You never know how people can help or what they are looking for!” Echoing the importance of networking, Abramson recommended Harvard students join the Young Nonprofit Network (YNPN) of Boston, as well as taking advantage of LinkedIn groups and connections.

Ultimately, if you want to find a job in the non-profit world, seek out opportunities and volunteer early and often! You won’t regret it.

—Nicandro Iannacci, ’13

In an ever-changing world filled with colossal and puzzling problems, what exactly is the most effective way to initiate social change? Four panelists grappled with this pressing issue last Tuesday afternoon. In a discussion led by Smitha Ramakrishna ’13, students from all areas of expertise and experience heard first-hand accounts of what it is like to work in this career industry, and gained wisdom on how to succeed in the field.

Some might consider some sectors for NGOs as an act of “tough love” at times, but these panelists stressed the importance of a personal passion for this career space. “Working in the field you’re passionate about is an incredible thing,” explained Katherine Conway, a manager at Amigos de las Americas and first-year student at the Fletcher School. Katherine emphasized the excitement she had for her work out of college that allowed her to travel to a wide variety of villages and countries dealing with issues such as anti-poverty and international development. Joshua Rubenstein, a director at Amnesty International, also spoke to the aspect of travel involved in this career field. He encouraged his audience to get experience working abroad in various cultures, as well as to study foreign languages at a college level. “Learning the language of the place you are working makes it a way more impactful experience,” he said.

Another topic raised during the panel (one that is addressed frequently in this field on the whole) is the difference experiences that come from working in a smaller office versus a larger one. Katherine explained that she tried to stay in smaller NGOs because she wanted to get a heavier hand in the inner workings of the organization. “I want to be at the table when decisions are being made,” she said. “That’s the only way you get leadership and management experience.” Contrarily, Ilana Nelson-Greenberg, who works for Partners In Health, recognized that there is certainly a lot to learn in a small organization, but she personally preferred a larger office. “The mentorship I’ve found in bigger corporations has been really key for my experience,” she explained. “There are people I can learn from who have been thinking about these topics for 25 years.”

Though the panelists’ conversation took its audience through an inside tour of careers in NGOs, there was one comment that surprised many in the audience: recognizing that not all positions for social change are rooted in a drastic reworking of the current framework. Ilana spoke to this view from her experience in global health. “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” she put it plainly. “There’s a tendency among our generation to think that global health is impenetrable, and that there are simply too many pieces of the puzzle. But there’s nothing wrong with plugging into the large groups who have already tried to deal with these issues. That’s a perfect way that you can help, and you don’t need to reinvent that.”

— Julia Eger, ’14

With summer – and Commencement – rapidly approaching, the hunt is on for engaging jobs and opportunities. Like you, Harvard students continue to seek socially conscious alternatives.

If you find yourself in this situation, you don’t want to miss the Harvard Social Impact Expo this Thursday afternoon! Come network with non-profit and mission-driven organizations working in a range of fields, from government to education and beyond.

As usual, remember to update your job documents and refresh your “elevator pitch.” Know who’s attending the Expo and dress to impress. Still not interested? Some friendly faces want to see you there! Cosponsors include the Harvard FAS Office of Career Services, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Harvard Divinity School.

ORGANIZATIONS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:

(in no particular order)

• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  What is it: The statewide department charged with education policy and enforcement.
  Fun fact: Massachusetts recently clocked in at No. 1 in a ranking of the nation’s most educated states.
  
  
• Abt Associates, Inc.
  What is it: Global company providing public policy and business research and consulting.
  Fun fact: Founded in Cambridge, MA, with the intent of using interdisciplinary social science research to solve social, economic, and technological problems.
  
  
• Plan International USA
  What is it: International charity dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty for children.
  Fun fact: Began in 1937 as “Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain” to provide services to children affected by the Spanish Civil War.
  
  
• Atlantic Global Aid
  What is it: Maine nonprofit focused on improving the health of urban and rural Africans by providing medicines, supplies, and qualified medical personnel.
  Fun fact: A returning champion to the Expo and a frequent sponsor of local community events such as this youth basketball tournament.
  
  
• City Year
  What it is: Education-focused nonprofit that puts qualified mentors in low-income schools and organizations to work with high-risk youth.
  Fun fact: Corps members wear fashionable red jackets and Timberland boots!
  
  
• Scholastic, Inc.
  What it is: A global book publishing company and the largest distributor of children’s books.
  Fun fact: Maintains the exclusive rights to publishing both the Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series in the United States.
  
  
• U.S. PIRG
  What is it: The national lobbying and grassroots arm of the State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), a federation of nonprofit organizations for collegiate civic engagement.
  Fun fact: The PIRG model was conceived by Ralph Nader and Donald Ross – one of his legal interns – in the 1971 book Action for a Change.
  
  
• NFI Massachusetts, Inc.
  What it is: Nonprofit human services agency specializing in community-based care for children and adults with emotional and/or behavioral problems.
  Fun fact: Adopts a “normative community approach” to service in which communities participate in establishing norms of healthy living.
  
  
• Facing History and Ourselves
  What it is: Provides educators with services and materials focused on combating racism and promoting tolerance.
  Fun fact: Founded by teacher Margot Stern Strom and former baseball player Bill Parsons.

—Nicandro Iannacci, ’13

Event Resume Book

Harvard FAS students (College, GSAS, and HES) can submit a resume to participating employers and organizations via Crimson Careers. Simply log in to Crimson Careers, select the “jobs & internships” tab, and keyword search either “Social Impact” or job id # “36408”. The DEADLINE for resume submissions is Thursday, April 5 @ 11:59pm!

harvardseas:

From Cambridge to Silicon Valley and back again, Harvard’s resources and networks help students turn ideas into social change

Undergraduate and graduate students from six schools at Harvard rode a bus to Facebook’s headquarters in Palo Alto. Photo courtesy of Matt Weber, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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In business, one well-prepared conversation can change everything.

Rebecca Kantar ‘14 knows how that works. During a trip to Silicon Valley with other Harvard students in January, she sat down with a mentor to get advice on her young start-up, BrightCo.

She left that meeting with a verbal commitment for seed funding.

“I was in shock when I got back to the bus,” she recalls with a laugh.

Serendipity will always play a role in entrepreneurship, but it takes far more than a fortuitous meeting to translate an idea into reality. For Kantar, that one moment was backed by months of network-building, ideation, and careful pitch preparation.

Here in Cambridge, an ever-expanding web of support, through teaching and advising, is helping students create new networks, gain hands-on experience, and ultimately make a difference in the world.

“In entrepreneurship, if you learn the process it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll succeed,” explains Fawwaz Habbal, Executive Dean for Education and Research at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). “But is it possible for me to help you through education to do extremely well? I think the answer is yes.” [more]

Like Eritrean food and friendly faces? Hopefully you made it to the Explore Careers in Africa panel last week, because those were key ingredients. As students packed into the room, panelists discussed their varied experiences in Africa and doled out some pearls of wisdom for how to go about finding the right career in this country.

How does one get involved in this career field? Chris Golden ’05, an ecologist and epidemiologist who has been working in Madagascar for 12 years, stressed the importance of reaching out to people. “It really doesn’t hurt to send an email,” he explained. “You spend 15 minutes writing a few emails, and if you get an email back, you’ve won. Put yourself out there as much as possible.” Panelist Hugo Van Vuuren ’07, a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design who was born and raised in Africa, suggested his audience try to connect with Harvard alumni living in Africa who could provide housing or, in his case, a “free scooter.”

Working in any foreign country comes with the potential for cultural shock, and this remains the case in several African nations as well. All panelists agreed that taking the effort to learn the local language is one of the most important things one can do to combat culture shock and get the most of his or her experience abroad. “Learning the local dialect shows your allegiance to that culture,” Hugo rationalized. Similarly, Dr. Vanessa Kerry, a director at the Harvard Medical School, expounded on the impact of deference towards a culture’s customs. “It’s incredibly important, regardless of the context you’re working in, to listen and observe and understand the culture before beginning your work,” she emphasized. “Take cues from the people you are with. Get assimilated.”

Finding a “career in Africa” covers quite a broad – and daunting – spectrum of opportunity, but Vanessa put any uncertain members of her audience at ease. “It’s great if you have a sense of what you want to do, but also great if you just have a cloudy concept of what you want to do in mind,” she assuaged. “The job process is a journey, especially in this field, and it’s probably going to take a while to find what you really want to do. Personally, I am still on this journey.” Chris spoke to this concept of uncertainty as well. Rather than worry about the “right” career choices, Chris encouraged his audience to take chances. “Do something totally random for a summer,” he urged. “Summers are your opportunity to explore.”

— Julia Eger, ‘14
This program was cosponsored by: The Office of Career Services, The Committee on African Studies (CAS), Harvard Africa Business Investment Club (HABIC), Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA), and Harvard Africa Student Association (HASA).

Africa Resources
with Contributions from the Harvard African Student Association (HASA)

This is just a sampling of the many resources related to opportunities in Africa. Note that some organizations may charge a program fee, and it is your responsibility to check the range of services that they provide. For additional resources and information, visit the OCS website.

OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES (OCS) WEB RESOURCES

• Crimson Careers - Jobs & Internships
• Peer2Peer
• Harvard Funding Database
• Going Global
• Weissman International Internship Reports
• OCS Summer Grants & Funding

GENERAL WEB/PRINT RESOURCES

• The Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries: available in the OCS Library.
  
• Directory of Development Organizations
  
• Economic Development Directory  
• The International Research Centers Directory: available in the OCS Library.
  
• International Volunteer Program Association
  
• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO)

HARVARD RESOURCES

• Committee on African Studies (CAS)
  
• Director’s Internship Program
  
• Harvard Global Health Institute
• Harvard Worldwide
  
• International Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities (I-SURF)

INTERNSHIP/VOLUNTEER & JOB RESOURCES

• African Development Bank Group 
• The African Development Foundation (ADF)
• The African Studies Center at University of Pennsylvania
  
• The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
  
• The African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI)
  
• Ashoka
  
• The Carter Center
  
• Dave’s ESL Cafe
  
• FINCA International
  
• Find a Job in Africa
  
• Foundation for Sustainable Development(FSD)
  
• Global Rights
  
• Habitat for Humanity
  
• Hellen Keller International(HKI)
  
• Human Rights Watch(HRW)
  
• i-to-i
  
• Idealist
  
• Intercultural Dimensions
  
• Learning Enterprises
  
• Malaria No More 
• One Heart Source
  
• Pambazuka News
  
• The Peace Corps
  
• Restless Development
  
• Teach Abroad
  
• Teaching English Abroad, by Susan Griffith: available in the OCS Library.
  
• Transitions Abroad
  
• UN Internships
  
• USAID
  
• Volunteers for Peace(VFP)
  
• WorldTeach
  
• World Camp

COUNTRY CAREER GUIDES

Country career guides provide information about job resources, cost of living, employment trends, interviewing advice, work permits, local industries, and current events. Websites that offer information about Africa and/or business include:

• Africa Online
  
• Africa South of the Sahara
  
• Info Please

EXPATRIATE RESOURCES

Expatriates are a great resource – learn directly from those who are there are or have been there. These expatriate websites offer tips and current information for a number of countries in Africa:

• ExpatExchange
  
• EscapeArtist

So you’re a student at Harvard. You’ve made it to the big time. Time after time, you’ve proven your ability, and now – finally – you can relax in a fun community of scholars. Right?

Unfortunately, that’s just not the experience of the average Harvard student. For any number of reasons, students regularly experience a great deal of stress, most notably in the academic sphere. The question becomes, then, a simple one: how important, really, is the GPA?

With an audience filled to capacity, the Office of Career Services recently hosted a panel of students and scholars, advisers and professionals. Moderated by Dr. Ariel Phillips from the Bureau of Study Counsel, the group’s collective record boasted numerous successes and failures. Together, the panel represented:

• 5 graduate degrees, 10 teaching appointments, 3 books, 5 grants/fellowships, 1 cable show host, 1 deanship; but also,
• 12 failed grant applications, 2 aborted grants, several “C” grades, 1 rejected dissertation, 1 final exam slept through, and 1 incomplete high school degree.

What, then, can be said about the GPA and the college experience?

“Don’t necessarily listen to your mom,” suggested Rory Michelle Sullivan ‘09, a first-year proctor at the College and the Director for Residential Education and Arts Initiatives at the Freshman Dean’s Office. As an undergraduate, Sullivan wished to concentrate in folklore & mythology but chose a more conventional department at the behest of her family. Though she found some success in her classes – including a statistics project published in The Harvard Undergraduate Research Journal (THURJ) – Sullivan ultimately felt out of place, even once having to meet with her resident dean after almost failing a course. It wasn’t until she took some classes in folklore & mythology that she felt successful. “When you do the things you’re passionate about, you’ll want to put in the time and it won’t feel like work,” she explained. “So trust yourself.”

For Taras Dreszer ’14, the message was similar: “Do what you feel you want to be doing.” In the last two years, grades were not a priority for Dreszer, who decided to pursue piano lessons and other interesting opportunities with the flexibility of a healthier schedule. “If you can accept a B+ in a class, you’ll experience an exponential reduction in stress,” he explained. Though he initially felt inadequate and miserable at times, finding few others who shared his attitude, Dreszer has since adjusted well and even plans to take a semester or year off in the coming months. “Don’t be afraid not to be the norm here,” he urged the eager crowd.

Taking the long view, Dr. Oona Ceder ’90 – the Assistant Director for Premedical and Health Careers Advising at OCS – emphasized strength of attitude. “The academic experience is a process,” she said. “Don’t let perceived ‘failures’ take hold of you.” Growing up with an organic chemist for a father, Ceder was certain she would also study chemistry at Harvard…only to score much lower on the chemistry placement test than she expected. Luckily, she was accepted into a competitive freshman seminar with renowned political science professor Joseph Nye. It wasn’t until graduate school applications that Ceder realized her blessing in disguise. “I realized I had done really well in the courses I loved,” she explained. Thanks to good mentors – who weren’t always obviously supportive – and in spite of a “C” on her transcript, Ceder forged a successful path.

Echoing the sentiments of her colleagues, Dr. Elizabeth Pegg Frates ’90 – assistant clinical professor and Director of Medical Student Education in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School – encouraged students to follow their passion; to be open to challenges, even if they don’t lead to “the best” grade; and to cultivate a “growth mindset.” Though she originally planned to concentrate in economics and take over her family’s business, Frates found that she didn’t like economics as much as she thought. (Wondering if it was only her who fell asleep in Economics 10, one student replied without missing a beat, “No, the lectures are boring, I fall asleep, too!”) Faced with her father’s paralyzation in her sophomore year, Frates was introduced to medicine and eventually pursued that career instead. And despite receiving a C+ in one course, she followed her father’s advice and moved on from the failure. “Constantly be looking for opportunities to grow,” she emphasized. “If you fail, recognize that it happened and figure out why so you can do things differently in the future.”

Other helpful advice from the panel:

• Most employers who come to campus look at academic performance, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Even if you don’t make a “GPA cutoff,” apply anyway!
• Employers and admissions committees are often interested in the content of the courses you take, so don’t be afraid to take a challenging course that interests you.
• As always, when applying for jobs, know something about the industry you want to work for and be cautious of etiquette. In reality, almost no one asks about your GPA in the professional world!

So be yourself and pursue your passion. The GPA is really just an afterthought.

—Nicandro Iannacci, ’13