As the U.S. economy continues to recover, George Washington University class of 2013 graduates leveraged their first-class education to pursue opportunities and post-graduate success.
According to an annual survey released by the Center for Career Services and the Office of Survey Research and Analysis on Friday, 92 percent of GW grads have found full-time employment, continued their education or engaged in military and philanthropic service, among other activities.
“The success of our graduates continues to be a hallmark of a GW education,” Assistant Provost for University Career Services Rachel Brown said.
Of the 930 graduates who responded to the survey six months after commencement, more than 60 percent secured employment and 29 percent are self-employed, pursuing a graduate degree or gap year or are engaged in military or volunteer service and other activities.
This keeps pace with class of 2012 survey trends.
Graduates of the class of 2013 have found employment at wide range of organizations including USAID, Virgin America, the United Nations Foundation, the Department of State, the World Bank, Apple Inc., Deloitte, Accenture, Macy’s, the U.S. Marine Corps, the White House and the National Geographic Society.
“We are working university-wide through the Career Services Enhancement Initiative to ensure GW graduates are prepared to successfully navigate and confirm their post-graduate opportunities,“ Ms. Brown said. “GW alumni are key partners in this effort and they continue to be very generous in volunteering their time and experience to help our students get connected,” she said.
Seeing famed sports-agent Jerry Maguire inspired Mark Buente, B.A. ’12, to pursue business administration with a concentration in sport, event and hospitality management as an undergraduate at the GW School of Business, but it was the connections he made as an internship at the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) that helped him land a job there, just six weeks after graduating in December 2012.
“Everyone tells you to stay in touch with your connections,” Mr. Buente said. “But honestly, the only reason I work at the NFLPA right now is because I continued to follow up with my mentors every few months.”
Julia Simon, B.A. ’13 earned a degree in international affairs from the Elliott School of International Affairs in 2013 before finding a position with the Advisory Board Company within three months of commencement.
Though she didn’t initially consider her position her “dream job,” she said it has given her exactly what she needs as a recent college grad: experience.
“I think I am gaining valuable skills that will be useful for years to come,” Ms. Simon said. “My GW education prepared me to make a decision based on what I wanted to gain and overall, I feel more prepared for the working world than people in my non-GW peer group because I was consistently challenged to speak, write, and think at a high level as an undergraduate,” she said.
Ms. Simon said that she intends to continue her education within the next few years.
She will join the nearly 20 percent of students who enrolled in graduate school at top-tier universities including Duke University, GW, Boston College, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Harvard University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Penn State University and Institut d’Etudes Politiques Paris.
Devika Agarwal, B.A. ’13, traded in her desk for a place at the front of the classroom as an eighth grade U.S. history teacher through Teach for America.
Ms. Agarwal studied political communication in the School of Media and Public Affairs and thought TFA would be a great way to explore public service beyond politics.
“As an undergraduate, I had the opportunity to take classes with amazing professors and intern at unique locations including Penn Schoen Berland, Kimball Stroud & Associates, and the Department of State,” Ms. Agarwal said. “I learned an incredible amount about what type of environment I wanted to work in and more about the field I wanted to be in.”
“During freshman year, students have the opportunity to gain self-knowledge, develop skills and reflect on how academic and co-curricular experiences connect with their future careers through the My Career Success Plan,” Ms. Brown said. “Internships, service and work experiences provide ways to further test students’ choices and highlight GW’s commitment to ‘knowledge in action’ through undergraduate education.”
As graduation approaches for the class of 2014, Ms. Simon advised students to think broadly when applying to jobs, instead of relying on an image of what the perfect job looks like.
“Channel your energy into getting your foot in the door somewhere, anywhere,” Ms. Simon said. “The worst thing about options is to have none.”
Ms. Agarwal said that alumni and previous employers are the best way to find job opportunities.
“You'd be surprised at how many people are willing to speak on the phone or email you advice,” Ms. Agarwal said. “Ask about the path that they took and see how that influences you to consider new options. Listen to your gut to figure out what is best for you and your interests.”