CCE Columbia Trek - Destination: Boston
The Center for Career Education is offering an opportunity for undergraduates from Columbia College, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the School of General Studies to explore and engage with organizations and alumni in Boston. The program will include a 2-day visit (1 overnight) to Boston where students will have the opportunity to explore careers and life in the Boston area while gaining valuable networking skills. Employer partners and alumni hosts from organizations throughout the Boston area will host students at their offices to discuss the most pressing trends in industries such as Biotech, Social Entrepreneurship, and beyond. The program will be held during Spring Break week.
Columbia Trek participants will have the opportunity to:
• Explore and assess fit for career fields of interest in the Boston area
• Meet with alumni and employer industry professionals and begin to expand their professional network
• Develop professional skills and exposure to new industries of interest
• Learn more about the world of work in Boston while being supported by a career counselor
Program Features:
• Pre-program training, which includes tips on making the most of the Trek experience, professional dress and etiquette, and networking and career goal setting.
• Boston Trek experience for 2 days during Spring Break when students will be able to travel to the city, while gaining an understanding of and exposure to a variety of industries of interest.
• 3-6 site visits to Boston-based organizations to learn about a career, company, and/or industry in keeping with or beyond their current academic concentration.
• End-of-Program Reflection session when students meet to discuss the experience and next steps of career-planning.
• Financial coverage: All meals, inter-city transportation, and one-night accommodation (Monday, March 16) in Boston are covered through the program. Financial assistance is available for students on financial aid to help with transportation costs to and from Boston; please indicate in the application.
Students are responsible to cover the costs of transportation round trip to Boston. The program begins at 12:00 PM on Monday, March 16 in Boston and ends at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, March 17.
Program Dates: Spring Break 2019
March 16-17: Boston Trek
Eligibility:
You must be a currently enrolled full-time undergraduate student at Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, or the School of General Studies. Students who are on leave of absence or who have withdrawn from Columbia University are not eligible. You must be a currently registered student in good academic and disciplinary standing. International students are eligible to participate. This is considered a career exploration program and therefore does not count as off-campus employment.
Step 1: Upload and submit Transcript (this is just a copy of your spring course schedule from SSOL. You can copy and paste your spring course schedule into a word document and upload that as your transcript) and Essay Question answers to LionSHARE by 11:59 p.m., Sunday, January 26, 2020.
*Essay question responses may be uploaded and submitted through LionSHARE under the "Other" document category.
Essay Questions:
1. Why are you interested in participating in the Boston Trek program and what do you hope to gain from the experience?
2. Please describe your interest in Boston as a possible destination to kick start your career, and what would you consider are the main advantages and challenges of this location for your areas of interest?
3. If someone shadowed you for a few days during a typical week, what would he/she learn about life as a Columbia student?
4. Describe your top three industries of interest and explain why you are interested in learning more:
- Advertising/Marketing/PR
- Arts/Entertainment
- Business/Finance
- Education
- Engineering
- Government
- Media/Journalism
- Non-Profit
- Healthcare
- Legal
- Start-Up
- Sustainability
- Technology/Computer Science
**Your application is NOT COMPLETE unless you submit all required materials through this LionSHARE posting (click "Apply Now"). Application materials uploaded to your LionSHARE account, but not submitted to this posting will not be viewed. Please contact program managers if you have any questions.**
*By submitting an application, you authorize the Center for Career Education to conduct academic and disciplinary checks to confirm program eligibility. Certain University policy violations may disqualify you from consideration for the program.
Program Managers:
Grace Huntley, gmh2127@columbia.edu
Pete Bridge, pb2583@columbia.edu
Maggie Appel-Schumacher, ma3917@columbia.edu