Sallyportal: Madly Blogging Reed

Students Chart Careers at Working Weekend

By Anna Mann on February 10, 2016 04:16 PM

Cartoonist and illustrator Lucy Bellwood ’12 shares insights and advice at Reed's Working Weekend. Mandy Heaton

Some 150 energetic students seized the chance to map out potential careers at Reed's annual Working Weekend, presented by the Center for Life Beyond Reed on February 5-6. Events included six workshops, each dedicated to a Community of Purpose, and a Career Fayre at which 65 students met with potential employers.

The communities of purpose were devised to help students whose interests might not dovetail exactly with traditional occupational categories such as engineering, law, or medicine. Instead, the communities focus on larger themes, such as Global Healthcare and the Cure of Illness and Human Potential, Education, and Success, which spans careers from teaching to psychology research to coaching.

Students and alumni descended on Prexy to network at Working Weekend.

Employers represented at the Career Fayre included the City of Portland, Multnomah County Health Department, Peace Corps, Planned Parenthood, RVK Investment Consulting Services, and Scribe-X Northwest.

"It was definitely a helpful event," said Kate Hilts ’16, an environmental studies-political science major who attended the workshop on Sustainable Life on Earth and met up with Ali Nouri '97, who works for Senator Al Franken. "That's my dream job and he gave me some great insight and invaluable connections."

"I received some very practical advice on how to network in the internet age, and work social-media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to my advantage," said English major Charlie Wilcox ’16.

See more photos of the weekend and read about two specific sessions: the "Global Healthcare & Cure of Illness" workshop gave students insight into careers in the healing arts and sciences, while a workshop on "Arts and Beauty in the World" drew students interested in creative fields.

Tags: careers