New CXD Grants Help Students Make Professional Connections

The pilot program supports travel to conferences that include career fairs, recruiter sessions, portfolio reviews, or hiring-focused networking events. Students can also design their own treks : personalized versions of the trips the office runs every spring break, which incorporate company visits and alumni meetings in a specific sector like finance, technology, or the arts.

"In this job market, we are constantly talking with students about how to make a personal connection, to find a different way to access opportunities besides being just one resume in a large pile that employers are struggling to process," CXD Executive Director Kristin Brennan said. "So this year in particular, we wanted to facilitate some of that activity, especially for students who could not otherwise afford to do that."

Priority is given to applicants who receive financial aid from Bowdoin and to seniors who have not yet secured a permanent job. Over the course of the spring, CXD anticipates it will support approximately thirty-six student trips. The program is funded by an endowment set up by donors to help Bowdoin students gain career exposure and experience.

"One of the things we appreciate about this fund is that it's flexible to the needs of students in a particular moment in time or a particular job market," Brennan said. "This year we think this is just the right kind of program for the moment, since we're seeing how effective it is for students to get out from behind the desk and meet people they might want to work with."