Once a Johnnie, always a Johnnie. St. John’s alumni continue to come out and be involved in the community even after exiting through the doors they entered the first day of freshman year. In addition to remaining active in chapters all across the world, which hold events and seminar style discussions, alumni help current students in a variety of ways. One of the main ways they give back is through Career Services. The St. John’s Career Services Office connects students with alumni mentors in a variety of professional fields. In addition, alumni often come back to campus to talk about their experiences and help students navigate through their professional and academic lives after St. John’s.

The most recent event held by the career services office here in Annapolis was a three-part discussion series with Will Pack, a member of the class of 2015 who currently works for an energy policy foundation based in Washington D.C. Each part focused on a different aspect of the job search and life after St. John’s. The first was an in-depth discussion of networking and how to get in to your field of choice. The second focused on the interview process and what to expect when starting a new job. And the third focused on the life outside of the job: how to integrate yourself into a new city or town, and how to make friends outside of work. In addition to giving general guidance to the students who attended the events, he also offered his information as a contact for students interested in his field.

Instead of speaking in a lecture hall at a podium, Will was able to discuss the individual students’ questions and circumstances over pizza in a conference room. It was not formal. No one wore a suit and tie. Instead, the students had the chance to talk through their interests, goals, fears, and future expectations in depth with someone who had the same educational experience. These close discussions, which allow for one-on-one interaction between students and alumni, happen frequently here.  As is typical of St. John’s, career services does not lecture. Instead, career services is always a continuing conversation.