Stephanie Gallo is Exceptional in CAS Career Planning

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone, in one way or another, has had to face their own personal challenges. In my case—as I’m sure is the case for many other upperclassmen—these challenges pertained to securing internships and, of course, the dreaded job search. 

The task at hand became more daunting than ever—favorite employers were pulling offers to minimize COVID-19 exposure, and any available opportunities were slowly shifting to remote operations. It was time for some creative thinking.

Well my version of ‘creative thinking’, in this case, was to put my stubbornness to the side for once and ask for a helping hand. I remembered hearing about some incredibly helpful individuals in the Career Center, so I decided to finally reach out. 

The only regret I had from this point moving forward was not reaching out to the Career Center earlier. After one Zoom meeting with Stephanie Gallo, a career counselor at the center, it became clear that I had been ignoring an incredible resource. 

After polishing up my resume, Gallo immediately began to help me strategize. She showed me the best way to approach applications, how to begin building a professional network, and she even set me up with a handy spreadsheet to keep track of it all.

Aside from her clear expertise in career development, Gallo’s positive attitude alone was enough to make me feel as if the job application process doesn’t have to be as daunting as many of us (namely myself) make it out to be. 

Though the job hunt continues, I still use the tips and tricks I learned from Gallo to guide myself through the process. Every once in a while I’ll even get sent a job lead, which, aside from being an incredible privilege to have a second set of eyes looking out for career opportunities, continually shows me that I have someone in my corner—that I really don’t have to do it alone. 

Especially in the wake of COVID-19, I’m incredibly grateful for the assistance provided by Gallo and the Career Center. If this story does have a moral, it would be to utilize the resources provided to you by the University—many people here want to see you succeed as much as you do. 

If you find yourself on the fence about asking for help like I was, please just do yourself a favor and reach out. You never know what opportunities you may be missing.