UMD Afterlife: Where are UMD grads now?

The school year is nearing its end and for many beloved Bulldogs, so is their college career.

It’s a time of reflection for many as they say goodbye to the university that taught them for years, but it’s also a time of looking ahead.

Many students don’t know where they will end up after graduation. It’s both thrilling and scary to consider the endless possibilities.

To inspire students who may be worried about entering the workforce, here is where some UMD graduates are now:

Kimberly Newton graduated in 2014 with a Communication degree. After attaining a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, she became the student activities and leadership development coordinator at Concordia University.

“I love my job,” Newton said. “I interned at Concordia for two years while I finished my Masters . . . and was hired on full-time right after graduation.”

The resources that Newton utilized when applying for jobs were Indeed Jobs, the UMD Career Services website and higheredjobs.com.

“I also used LinkedIn and would look to see if I knew anyone who worked at companies I was interested in,” Newton said. “I would even go as far as to reach out to people who served as a degree of connection between me and someone from a company, depending on the relationship I had with that person. It seems a little excessive, but social media is such a powerful tool.”

Newton said that if she could go back, she would have been more organized and taken the job search more seriously earlier on.

“I have definitely found my passion and am so thankful that I enjoy going to work each day,” Newton said.

Sean Finn graduated from UMD in 2013 with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He is currently a pharmaceutical sales representative for Sanofi Diabetes.

“My first job out of college was an opportunity I found on UMN GoldPass,” Finn said. “Overall I used GoldPass, LinkedIn, [Indeed Jobs] and most of all: networking. I cannot stress enough how important networking is. Networking is not just connecting with people on LinkedIn, it’s your opportunity to get your name out there.”

Finn also stressed the importance of knowing your value to an employer and being able to sell it.

“When you get a face-to-face interview, mirror the body language of the interviewer,” Finn said. “Relax and focus on allowing them to really understand what you could do for them.”

Finn also advised students applying for jobs to keep their resume to two pages or less and when writing a cover letter, pick one example and discuss how you found a solution to something.

“I love sales and business development,” Finn said. “My goal is to become a senior executive.”

For students who are unsure about the future, these Bulldog alumni are living examples that your UMD afterlife can be a positive and rewarding one.

For questions about campus resources, graduation or searching for and finding jobs, you can contact Career and Internship Services online or at (218) 726-7985.

Graphic by Will Madison