Trekking from college to career

Career development, workplace tours, and peeks into day-to-day job functions are all on the agenda during Career Trek trips, an opportunity for students to visit companies that employ Clark alumni. Students bring their curiosity, and Clark provides the bus ride.

The Career Connections Center hosts four to six Career Treks per academic year. These interactive field trips bring students together with leaders in desired industries, expanding their professional network and allowing them to learn about the skills they’ll need to land an internship or job after college.

This past fall, students visited Boston-based Public Consulting Group, a leading public sector consulting firm, and Petricore, a Worcester-based indie game development studio.

During the PCG trek, students met with CEO Bill Mosakowski ’76, a former Clark trustee who, with his wife Jane Mosakowski ’75, is the founding benefactor of Clark’s Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise. At PCG, employees provided insights into various roles in the consulting field, including operations, finance, data analytics, and human resources. Students heard from employees including Sean Huse, MBA ’04, and Jessica Mulvihill, MBA ’23, about the firm’s company culture, and Guy Reynolds, PCG’s director of talent acquisition, spoke about employment opportunities for current students and recent graduates.

Connecting with alumni who have found career success at PCG was “a dream come true for every one of us,” said Kumar Gaurav, MBA ’25. Nimish Vaidya, M.S. ’25, said the trek motivated students to work even harder, while Shilpa Negi, M.S. ’25, noted that the experience provided valuable tips for building a successful internship application.

“Students gained incredible insights into the world of consulting and had the opportunity to network with industry professionals at a top employer of Clark alumni,” said Angela Harris, senior associate director of employer and alumni engagement. More than 100 alums work at PCG.

Clarkies didn’t have to travel far to learn about what it’s like to work for an indie game studio. Career Trek students took a short drive to Worcester-based Petricore, which specializes in emerging technology and XR software in addition to game design.

Becker School of Design & Technology students learned about the day-to-day work required in game development and were introduced to Petricore’s current projects.

Ed Greig ’23, MFA ’24, said the visit made career goals feel more attainable.

“The field trip to Petricore was an awesome experience and a great opportunity to see an indie studio in action,” he said. “We got to talk one-on-one with the employees there about their work/life balance, projects, and programs.”

Lisa Chase, associate director of internships and experiential learning at Clark, said Petricore CEO Ryan Canuel has been an instrumental supporter of Clarkies, offering portfolio reviews and networking opportunities.

“Ryan is invested in the future talent of the gaming industry,” said Chase. “The energy of the trek day was one filled with curiosity and laughter as students engaged in conversations about art, production, programming, and more. This trek allowed students to experience the inner workings of an interactive software and game development company and receive valuable information from professionals to aid them in their career development.”

The Career Connections Center is planning treks for the spring semester, including one to AbbVie, a Chicago-based biopharmaceutical company with a location in Worcester.

Students can find information about upcoming treks by visiting the CCC or searching on Handshake.

Students can also network with professionals during upcoming Career Exploration Weeks. These industry-themed events provide information about career pathways and internship and job opportunities.

Upcoming Career Exploration Weeks:

• Internet, software, and technology — Jan. 22 to 26
• Government, law, and international affairs — Feb. 19to 23
• Arts, media, and entertainment — March 25 to March 29
• Environmental science and sustainability — April 8to April 12