Career Communities

Grouped by professional area, Career Communities are vibrant, knowledge-sharing spaces for students exploring potential career paths. These six communities offer student-centered cohorts as well as curated resources, opportunities and programs. Along with your peers, you’ll engage with a career specialist, academic departments, alums, employers and industry experts.

Discover Career Communities

Arts, Media, Communication Government, International Affairs, Law, Policy Business, Consulting, Finance, Entrepreneurship Health Professions Education, Nonprofit, Social Impact STEM

Frequently Asked Questions

Career Communities are physical, virtual, and intellectual gathering spaces grouped by professional interests. Within these six groupings, students connect with each other, their career specialist, and industry professionals, including alums! They are a place for students to learn and share knowledge, resources, and opportunities. 

To learn about upcoming events and opportunities, you can sign up for community-specific emails (don’t worry, most of the other emails you get from the Lazarus Center are going to start fading away). All are welcome to attend any career community event.

Students can participate in as many career communities as they want, and can engage with each community as much or as little as they choose. Your career goals might change during your time at Smith, and we encourage you to explore a variety of professional areas.

Internships in Action

A student sitting on the steps of the Supreme Court in a suit.

Nicole Teo ’24J interning at the Clerk’s Office of the Supreme Court. Photo by Jen Joseph Photography.
A student and a supervisor in a lab.

Xinyun Guo ’25 at the Multiscale Materials and Manufacturing Lab at University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she worked on 3D printing of advanced metal alloys. Photo by Shana Sureck.
A student and supervisor looking at a photo on a table.

Sena Amuzu ’24 (left) interning at the Brooklyn Museum, where she supported the major reinstallation of the American Art galleries. Photo by Erika Garrida.
A student carrying two potted plants.

Gwen Gignac ’23 interning at Abundance Farm, where her main responsibility was working with the Shefa Teen Programs. Photo by Shana Sureck.
Two students, interns at a historical living museum, dressed in bonnets.

Ella McDaniel ’25 (left) and Simone Tricca ’25 (right) interning at Sturbridge Village as costumed interpreters. It "was a totally different way of learning about history," Tricca said, adding that one of the most rewarding parts was the conversations with visitors about both historical and contemporary issues. Photo by Shana Sureck.
A student sitting on a stage holding an umbrella over her head.

Jane MacLaughlin ’24 as a stage management intern at Chester Theatre. She supported logistics for productions of Birds of North America and To The Moon. Photo by Shana Sureck.

Other Ways to Build Your Community

Smith Career Connect is where students and alums come together to talk about careers. You can grow your network, receive tailored mentorship and browse job listings by alums who can help you secure the role–all in one place.

This platform is exclusive to the Smith community. It’s a built-in network of Smith alums, staff and faculty who are eager to help you navigate the next stage in your career, whether you’re still exploring what path is right for you or need help making connections in the industry of your choice.

Getting Started

Access Smith Career Connect online and build your profile. Within the platform, you can:

  • Join a group based on your interests. For example, each of our Career Communities hosts an active space where students can ask questions, share advice and access resources.
  • See real job postings and alums who have worked at that organization and/or held the same job title. They can potentially help you put together the perfect application.
  • Easily schedule a meeting with alums.

The Network is a private alum directory and communication tool for Smith alums and students. The primary purpose is to support alums connecting with other alums and students connecting with alums. The Network is accessible via the Smith website and is also available as a downloadable app via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Watch a video tutorial about The Network.

Getting Started

Once you’re logged into the Network and have updated your profile, you can start by typing in a keyword. It can be a name, part of a name, a year, a location, an employer, etc. This will generate a list of categories that the keyword can be applied against. Click on the category. Additional search terms can be added to further filter a list. 

Once you’ve found someone you want to connect with, you can send them a direct message within the platform!

Build Your Network

By some estimates, nearly 80% of opportunities are found through networking. Building a network of professional relationships is best started before you’re seeking an opportunity, even from your first year, and will continue throughout Smith and as an alumna.

While it’s not appropriate to ask a networking contact for a job, internship, or housing, by connecting with people in your field of interest you can:

  • Hear advice on getting started and advancing in a field
  • Learn about career-specific resources and get the names of others to talk to
  • Find out about opportunities before they’re posted

Reach Out

Informational interviews—one-on-one conversations with people whose careers interest you—are a great tool to start building both your career knowledge and your network.

Networking works! You’ll discover most people like talking about themselves and their career paths and offering advice to those starting out.

Resources

Workshops & Videos

Lazarus Center Workshops on networking and LinkedIn workshops are offered throughout the semester and interterm.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site. Join the Smith College LinkedIn group and groups for your field of interest. LinkedIn for Students features videos and quick tip sheets to help you create a great profile, find internships and jobs, and build your LinkedIn network.

Alumnae Connections & Informational Interviews

Seven Sisters Alumnae Association—The first and only place for Seven Sisters alumnae and students to connect, network and build a community. Alumnae & Student Directory, Job & Housing Boards, Business Directory, Artists & Creators Directory and more.

Read our guide covering how to prepare for and set up a networking meeting, questions to ask and follow-up actions.