The Future Is Flexible

“Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.”

It’s a phrase usually meant to spark excitement and optimism about the road ahead, but for graduates entering today’s unsteady job market—especially in fields like politics, international affairs, and the arts—it’s a sentiment that can add unnecessary pressure to an already stressful time.

Deborah Wijnhoven, assistant dean of employer partnerships and career communities at the Lazarus Center for Career Development, is working to alleviate that anxiety by helping Smithies see their futures through a more focused, short-term lens. She and her team help build connections to employers and full-time opportunities for a wide variety of fields through not only campus visits, but alum panels, industry site visits, and other specialized programming.

Because of the ongoing changes in the job market, there’s an added emphasis on the importance of networking with alums early and often. “Alums have been able to open doors and give access, advice, and support,” Wijnhoven says. “They’re one of the biggest strengths at Smith.” Wijnhoven and other Lazarus staff are also focusing their conversations with students on transferable skills that can be applied to a multitude of fields, making for a more flexible future.

“I always say to students that they’re not making a career choice at this age and stage,” Wijnhoven says. “Instead, I want them to be thinking, ‘How will I strategically use the next 12 to 18 months to leverage future opportunities?’”

It’s a mindset some students and members of the class of 2025 are embracing as they embark on job searches—and either pivot completely or at least press pause on long-term career plans—in a market that looks much different than they’d envisioned.

Ella McDaniel ’25, who graduated with a degree in anthropology, a museum studies concentration, and a Spanish minor, knew she wanted to spend time in the workforce before entering graduate school, but that’s as far as her plans went. After researching Americorps as a potential next step, she discovered FoodCorps, a program where members teach young students how to grow and cook fresh, healthy food and help schools serve more of those kinds of foods as well.

“It was great for so many reasons,” McDaniel recalls. “It was close to home, was going to last about a year, and was going to involve working for a cause I care about.” Unfortunately, FoodCorps was caught in the crosshairs of recent ongoing cuts to federal programs; McDaniel learned that the organization wouldn’t be operating in Massachusetts this year on the day she moved out of her house at Smith.

With FoodCorps off the table, McDaniel utilized connections from previous internships and other opportunities to secure a handful of different part-time jobs, including one as a visitor services associate and museum aide at the local museum Historic Deerfield, to save money and figure out next steps. “I’m [also] really grateful for [Smith’s] alumnae network, as it makes the uncertain job search process somewhat less daunting,” she says. “It’s so comforting to realize that other people my age, across disciplines, are going through similar struggles with their careers. I treasure my Smith friends and girlfriend and lean on them as I continue to push forward.”

Down in Washington, D.C., Tallulah Costa ’25 had hoped to use her degree—government with a concentration in American politics, as well as a minor in the study of women and gender—within a vastly different administration. She quickly shifted gears: After navigating the hurdles of hiring freezes and interviewing for federal jobs that disappeared shortly thereafter, she set her sights on Congress.

“I spent some time applying to private sector and nonprofit jobs, but most of my energy went to Congressional applications,” Costa says. “The thing about getting your foot in the door on [Capitol] Hill, though, is that there are these very intentionally designed pathways for you to enter. As a recent grad, you [essentially] need someone to flag your resume.”

Costa echoed McDaniel’s praise of members of the Smith alum network, citing their role in helping her approach an especially intricate and delicate job market. “There are a handful of alums who work both in the Senate and in the House as staff who I know and have reached out to for advice before. Becca Damante [’17] was also monumentally helpful in figuring out how to approach the job search on the Hill.”

After several interviews but no successes, Costa eventually landed a role as a legislative intern in U.S. Representative Jim McGovern’s office. Following her internship, Costa is planning to return to her home in Virginia to complete a fellowship with state delegate Sam Rasoul.

And after that?

“I’m going to see how it goes,” she says. “If I really like it [in Richmond], maybe I’ll stay there and figure out working for the General Assembly in some capacity. At the same time, my fellowship will end in April, and that’s when midterm campaign season for the House will really kick off. That might be a good time because if Democrats take back the House, then they’ll need staff, and there’ll be more job opportunities in Congress again, so I’m also going to keep an eye on that. We’ll see.”

That ability to stay flexible will be key for graduates and especially seniors already considering their post-college plans. While jumping into an uncertain job market like today’s is new to many members of the class of 2025, it’s a storm Wijnhoven has helped alums weather before. She’s been at Smith for nearly 30 years, and still remembers the uncertainty and tumult that came with the 2008 financial crisis—as well as the successes Smithies found once the dust settled.

“Smith students are smart, they’re hardworking. They get such a foundation at Smith that really does give them what they need to be successful,” she says. “[Right now], they have to be creative in how they’re searching and who they’re connecting with, but at the end of the day, Smith students always land on their feet.”