Job tips, experiences shared at alumni-student event

Students have many questions as they plan their career path. What does an employer look for? What makes a resume stand out? Once hired, what are the demands, expectations and standards for success within a particular field?

One of the best ways to answer these questions is to talk with someone who has significant career experience. A recent event organized by the Alumni Association provided an opportunity to have such a conversation.

On Wednesday (March 11), five Capitol alumni volunteered their time to meet with juniors and seniors for an informal lunch and talk about what it’s like to work in their fields – and about the specific steps they followed in launching their careers.

The alumni at the event – Tom Bagg, Ken Kassing, Adam Meyer, Nicole Patton and Amie Seisay – represented a variety of professional roles, at organizations ranging from federal agencies and major government contractors to smaller, more recently established firms. Bagg, for instance, is risk manager for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, while Patton is an IT manager at Lockheed Martin.

Two work for startups – Kassing at endpoint security specialist Carbon Black, and Meyer at SurfWatch Labs, which focuses on cyber threat intelligence. One participant, Seisay, has started her own company.

“The Capitol alumni community constitutes a tremendous resource for current students,” said assistant director of development Leah Caputo.  “Our alums work at leading businesses and organizations in their fields. Many have direct experience with hiring interns and full-time employees. They have a handle on current industry needs and they know what distinguishes a successful applicant.”

The event, “Breakfast for Lunch,” was held in the Puente Library and featured catering by the Megabyte Café. Alums were able to relive the college experience of grabbing breakfast at 11 am, while students gained a window into the world that awaits them post-graduation.

Computer engineering student Hanna Froe, a junior, said the informal atmosphere was conducive to open dialogue between the students and alumni. “It felt like a brunch between friends,” she said. “We felt we could be honest and ask any questions that we had.”

“It was interesting to hear the alumni share their experiences in the field – what the most interesting things were that they’ve done, and what they liked about it over the long term. As students, we’re often focused on the short-term, and we also tend to assume that a field has only one or two things to do, when in reality the possibilities are much wider,” Froe added.

Xavier Allan, a junior in the cybersecurity program and a manager at the university’s Cyber Lab, said the experience was “extremely valuable.”

“It’s a really great event because you get to ask questions directly of people who have graduated and gone through everything that you’ll be facing, and ask them about their experiences,” Allan said. “That helps develop an understanding of what to do after you get the degree.”

He also welcomed the opportunity the event provided for discussion with students across different programs. “We were able to sit down and hash out some ideas for interdisciplinary projects,” Allan said.