Colby Connect
Colby Connect is a four-year career development curriculum that inspires success through a sequence of practical workshops, information sessions, and related programming. Colby Connect embraces students by connecting them to fellowships, internships, job shadowing, Jan Plan and employment opportunities, and graduate studies. Colby Connect integrates alumni, parents, faculty, and recruiters into Career Center programming.
Each year Colby Connect offers three primary workshops that students complete to advance through the program. The workshops—self-assessment, career exploration, and communication competence—present life skills necessary for individual, academic, and professional development. The table below depicts the four-year workshop sequence.
| Class Year | Primary Workshops | Goals |
| Connect to Self & Community (first year) | Self-assessment: Exploring interests and majors Career Exploration: Learning the Colby Career Center resources Communication Competence: Communicating with confidence |
Engage the Colby community Assess yourself for new challenges Meet and network with faculty members Collect information about your experiences Explore majors Do a “gap analysis” of your skills Explore the impact of study abroad |
| Connect to Skills (second year) | Self-assessment: Mapping competencies Career Exploration: Researching and obtaining a campus job, job shadow, internship, summer employment or volunteer opportunity Communication Competence: The narrative: telling your story |
Pursue a Jan Plan or summer internship Participate in job shadow experiences Explore and describe your leadership style Develop a career exploration plan Choosing a major |
| Connect to Careers (third year) | Self-assessment: Comparative assessment, mapping competencies to industries Career Exploration: Industry profiles Communication Competence: Communication etiquette |
Conduct focused career field research Expanding your professional Development Explore and plan for fellowship Learn and practice interview skills Financial responsibility |
| Connect to Future (senior year) | Self-assessment: Your equity Career Exploration: Company and graduate school profiles Communication Competence: Persuasion: five minute pitch |
Prepare for new challenges after Colby Identify strategies to meet goals Develop & practice communication skills Apply to graduate school and fellowships Refine your interviewing skills Expand your professional network |
Additional Career Center Workshops and Events
- Finding a job in… career series
- Fellowship awareness and application process
- Financial responsibility
- Planning for graduate school
- Employer/graduate school information sessions
- Alumni and parent panels and focused meetings
- Speed networking
- CAN weekend of alumni career panels and networking opportunities
- LARC and BARC: Boston and NYC interviewing days and job fair
- Senior meetings
- Collaborative programming with academic departments and administrative offices
Portfolio Binder
The Career Center will provide Colby Connect portfolio binders to participating first-year students during Jan Plan. The students will use the binders to keep all Colby Connect assignments and student records organized. Binders have inserts that outline the curriculum for each of the four years, including workshops, collaborative programs, and information sessions.
Visit the Career Center. Sign up for Colby Connect during your first year Jan Plan at one of the Colby Connect Orientations. Explore careers, set strategies for meeting personal goals, and receive guidance on résumé writing, cover letters, interviewing tips, and networking.
Inspired Success
Through collaborative initiatives, programming and technologies, a strong connectivity within the Colby community supports students’ future endeavors. Come visit the Colby Career Center.
To learn more about Colby Connect or to provide additional assistance, please call the Colby Career Center at (207) 859-4140.
