Annual Report 2019–2020

Four years ago, our team set out to design a new model for career education at Wellesley that would illuminate the strength of the liberal arts education and encourage active participation of the full college ecosystem. The tremendous impact of these efforts is seen each day in the active involvement of students, faculty, staff, alumnae, and employers. This past year, we learned lessons that will continue to shape the chapter that lies ahead, from virtual internship projects and recruiting to an intentional focus on advising and connection. In a time defined by great uncertainty, we celebrate past accomplishments while focusing on the changing horizon of the future and the important mission of preparing and inspiring every Wellesley woman to craft a lifetime of opportunity and realize her full potential.

— Jennifer Pollard, Executive Director of Wellesley Career Education

Satisfaction & Loyalty

98%

of students were satisfied or very satisfied after appointments

Highlights

During the fourth year of the Wellesley Career Education model, students continued to engaged with our office at a high level, taking opportunity of the growing number of opportunities in Handshake, mentorship through The Wellesley Hive, and a pilot job shadow program.

4 Years of Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive excellence is a top priority at Wellesley College. The career education model takes into account the diversity in background, perspective, and career goals of all Wellesley students. We’ve been pleased to see engagement increase across class levels, disciplines, and distinct populations. The chart below demonstrates 4 years of cumulative engagement for the Class of 2020.

Overall 3.92 Out of 4

of members of the Class of 2020 engaged with Career Education in-person over the course of 4 years (98.1%)

99%

Asian/Asian-American

97%

Black/African-American

96%

Latinx

100%

Native American/Alaskan

98%

Two or More Races

96%

White/Caucasian

97%

Humanities

99%

Social Sciences

97%

Science

97%

First Generation

92%

Davis Scholars

97%

International Students

2019–2020 Highlights

Digital Engagement

97%

of students used Handshake, applied to opportunities, and/or had a virtual appointment

Appointments

5,226

in-person and virtual appointments in 2019–2020

Jobs & Internships

55,823

Handshake postings in 2019–2020

Alumnae Mentorship

4,879

Alumnae mentors in The Wellesley Hive

Job Shadow Program

Participants in the pilot of Career Education’s Winter Job Shadow program, January 14–15, 2020

Program Participation

145

student participants, matched with 96 alumnae and parent volunteers

Building Community

Joining a career community helps students and alumnae leverage their Wellesley experience and form meaningful connections. These communities connect students, alumnae, employers, and faculty who have the common goal of supporting Wellesley women in their pursuit of career success and satisfaction.

Total Number of Students & Alumnae in Each Career Community

1,279

Education, Nonprofit, Social Impact

844

Technology, Engineering, Physical Science

1,011

Arts, Communication, Media

1,001

Business, Consulting, Finance, Entrepreneurship

1,067

Government, Law, International Affairs

1,001

Health Professions, Public Health, Life Sciences

Pandemic Response

To meet the challenges of the post-coronavirus economic landscape, Career Education embraced a bold approach for supporting students in the wake of Covid-19. Hive 2020 was designed as a holistic strategy to focus Career Education’s advising, generate new opportunities, and activate the Wellesley network. It is scaffolded by three pillars:

Care

Students are exploring and launching their careers in difficult circumstances, marked by uncertainty, grief, and displacement. A heightened focus on care from our staff, and an emphasis on self-care, will be central to our work in the coming months.

Community

Networks of support have always been a critical aspect to building a successful career. Now, more than ever, the strength of the Wellesley network—alumnae, staff, faculty, families—will be essential in helping our students explore and embark upon careers.

Career

In this changing world, all industries need the leadership of women who will make a difference in their respective fields. We are committed to supporting students in finding pathways to meaningful work built upon their interests, values, and strengths.

Transition to Virtual

Virtual Appointments

2,632

Zoom, phone, and email appointments with students and alumnae from March 16 – December 31, 2020

Reimagined Virtual Career Fairs in September 2020

In response to the changing recruiting landscape, Career Education launched virtual Recruiting Weeks for Fall 2020, with the first three focused on Consulting, Finance, and STEM. Each Recruiting Week consisted of 11–15 of employer information sessions, held over Zoom and recorded for asychronous viewing, along with small-group coffee chats with every employer for direct interaction.

Senior Support Network

Career Education launched the Senior Support Network (SSN) to support the class of 2020 as they approached an uncertain entrance into the workforce, and we will be relaunching it to the class of 2021. The SSN is designed to connect students with advisors and alumnae who can help them reach their individual career goals throughout this challenging time.

Participating Seniors

332

members of the class of 2020 were matched with alumnae and advisors in their industry of interest

Hive Internship Projects

Hive Internship Projects were launched in May 2020 to support students without summer experiential learning opportunities as a result of the pandemic. These short-term, virtual experiences were designed by alumnae and parent mentors by unbundling long-term internships and separating out individual projects that could be completed remotely. Students benefited from working on a real-world project for an alumna or parent, and due to the program’s success these projects will relaunch for Wintersession 2020.

250+

students were hired for Hive Internship Projects

95

of participating students stated that their project allowed them to make a meaningful contribution to the organization.

This experience has tremendously impacted my career goals. I wanted to participate in this experience because I have always been interested in public health, but have never participated in a real-life public health experience. Not only the work I was doing, but the interactions I had with my supervisor, made me think about my career, and consider pursuing a different path than the one I came into this internship expecting I would take. It has opened up an entirely different field which I feel really passionate about.

Rocio Harvey ’22

On her Hive Internship Project with Elizabeth Nesoff ’05 (Data analyst on COVID and mental health project)

Wellesley-Funded Internships

Despite the challenges presented by Covid-19, Wellesley's Signature Internships Program funded the nearly as many students in 2020 as in 2019 — a testament to the adaptability of employers and their commitment to providing virtual internships as well as the resilience of students navigating the job search and virtual work environments.

Pivoting to Remote Internships

116

Students participated in Signature Internship Programs (compared to 119 students in 2019)

On Monday, April 13, in response to the global health crisis and concern for student safety, the College announced that they would sponsor only virtual internships due to the pandemic. At that time, Career Education’s Signature Programs partners had selected their interns; Grants Programs awards were pending as we were waiting for the College’s decision on summer programming. After the announcement, 47% (22) of our Signature Programs partners were able to pivot, on short notice, to offer interns remote opportunities. For a variety of reasons, not all partners could go remote. For students whose sites were cancelled, Career Education upheld its commitment to fund their summer internship; happily, the majority of these students were able to secure an alternative remote opportunity.

— Lorraine Hanley ’98, Program Director, Internships

As an Asian-American woman, it feels very empowering to be a part of a company where the founders, editorial board, writers, producers, and designers are all women or nonbinary, and predominantly people of color. It’s almost like a Wellesley community away from Wellesley.

Artemisia Luk ’21

Sama Mundlay ’20 American Cities Program recipient, of her Wellesley-funded internship with Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop