By Anna Macaulay ’25, Career Ambassador
Most mornings, my shift as a Career Ambassador at the Center for Career & Professional Development begins like any other student job—clocking in on Dayforce. But what comes after that is far from ordinary. As I walk into our bright, newly renovated office space, I’m greeted by the smiling faces of our incredible Graduate Assistants who run the front desk with professionalism and warmth. When they’re out promoting our services or meeting with employers, I occasionally get the exciting opportunity to hold down the fort at the front desk myself. It’s here I answer calls from prospective employers looking to connect with our talented students, or from alumni exploring the lifelong resources we proudly offer.
Once Ang, our vibrant grad assistant, returns from her rounds, I head back to my desk to start one of my favorite parts of the day: student drop-ins. Throughout the day, I meet with students for resume help, LinkedIn profile makeovers, or even a quick tutorial on using our state-of-the-art headshot machine (yes, it has perfect lighting every time!). The best part? Watching my fellow students walk away more confident, prepared, and excited about their professional journey. Some visits are short; just five minutes helping someone fix bullet point formatting in Word. Others are long, heartfelt conversations about finding direction on LinkedIn or clarifying career and academic goals! Every interaction is unique, filled with discovery, encouragement, and sometimes a little laughter. As a senior student, it has been an immense pleasure to pass along my years of experience, advice and wisdom to my fellow peers.
Behind the scenes, Career Ambassadors like me receive ongoing training in resume reviewing and professional communication. We work closely with our Career Coaches, picking up insider advice that we pass on to our peers. Beyond that, we’re constantly learning from our amazing Graduate Assistants, Tessa and Ang. Whether they’re sharing tips on grad school, job hunting, or just life after college, their guidance has been truly impactful. Another highlight of my role is helping to develop content for our Instagram page (@shucareerdev). Working with Tessa, I’ve helped create videos like intern spotlights that feature the real-life experiences of our peers. It’s inspiring to shine a light on the amazing things students are doing, and to create content that feels real, relevant, and empowering. At the end of the day, being a Career Ambassador is so much more than helping with resumes. It’s about connection, growth, creativity, and being part of a supportive community that’s always striving to move forward.
Whether I’m behind the front desk, deep in a LinkedIn consult, or brainstorming the next Instagram campaign, I end each shift feeling fulfilled, knowing I’ve made a small but meaningful difference in someone’s professional journey.
