In late summer, an email landed in the inboxes of 125 Babson faculty and staff.
The subject line of the email read, “Thank you for being a career champion.”
The message came from Babson’s Hoffman Family Faculty Center for Career Development (CCD). As part of a survey of graduating seniors, CCD asked them to share the names of faculty and staff who helped prepare and facilitate their post-graduation plans. Alumni submitted 125 names to the survey, representing a wide range of employees across campus, from the classroom to the playground, and CCD sent an email thanking them all.
“It was a great morning to send everyone off,” says CCD Director Anne McAdam-Griffin. These 125 individuals demonstrate how committed the Babson community is to supporting the future of our students. “The entire Babson ecosystem is preparing students,” McAdam-Griffin said. “Students are surrounded by people who care about long-term goals.”
Babson’s strengths in student career development have been recognized in recent rankings and awards. Last month, when the Wall Street Journal named Babson College the second-best college in America, it also ranked it second in career preparation.
Babson was also honored today as Handshake, a popular career development platform used by students to find jobs and internships, awarded the university the Career Spark Award, which recognizes the university’s top career centers. He received a new honor. Handshake evaluated more than 1,500 such centers and only 35, or about 2%, earned that honor.
This is a remarkable recognition for McAdam-Griffin and her CCD colleagues. “Providing career services to the Babson community is extremely rewarding and an honor,” she says.
How CCD works
McAdam-Griffin calls out the support Babson staff and faculty across campus give students, as well as a global alumni network of more than 45,000 people who provide advice and connections to students throughout their college careers. Development efforts begin with the CCD.
The 14 team members who make up Babson’s Hoffman Family Undergraduate Center for Career Development received the Career Spark Award from Handshake, a career development platform.
The CCD team is made up of 14 people, but that number has doubled in the past 18 months as open positions have been filled and new roles have been added. Last academic year, the CCD team carried out more than 1,800 career advisor appointments and met individually with almost a third of undergraduate students. “I love the team,” McAdam-Griffin says. “They are very committed to our students.”
The Career Spark Award recognized CCD in the reporting and analysis category for its use of data. CCD leverages data in a wide range of ways, including determining which employers to invite to events, targeting students with opportunities that match their interests, and helping employers best engage with students. Use it to guide you on how to build. “For us,[this award]is a validation of how we look at data and use it to inform decision-making,” McAdam-Griffin said.
in the middle of a journey
CCD offers a variety of career services in addition to individual advice sessions and career fair planning. We collaborate with student clubs on events. We offer workshops on topics such as how to write a resume. Through the Professional Attire Fund, we help students in need purchase appropriate business attire. Host pop-up sessions where advisors can have quick, impromptu conversations with students. We also organize trips to New York City for students to visit financial and real estate companies.
Last year, CCD held a total of over 100 programs and events. Add in the experiential nature of a Babson education, with programs such as FME and MCFE that allow students to connect coursework with the real world, and McAdam-Griffin says students will be well prepared for the workforce. says there is a need.
“The entire Babson ecosystem prepares our students. They are surrounded by people who care about their long-term goals.”
Anne McAdam Griffin, Director, Hoffman Family Faculty Career Development Center
Of course, this assumes that students are enthusiastic about this process. At Babson, that’s usually the case. “Students still have to do the work, and they’re the ones who are going to make it happen,” McAdam-Griffin said. “We have a great team of advisors and a lot of resources for students, but they need to be involved to be successful.”
The recent accolades by Handshake and the Wall Street Journal are not the first time Babson has been recognized for career preparedness, and the accomplishments of past graduates confirm Babson’s strength in this field. For example, for the Class of 2023, 98.6% of graduates will be employed, continue their education, or participate in a military or service program six months after graduation. Students have obtained jobs in 26 states and 24 countries.
A student’s career journey can take them to many different places, and McAdam-Griffin enjoys working with students as they find their path. “I love my students,” she says. “They are ambitious and trying to change the world. To be a small part of their Babson story is humbling.”
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