An undergraduate degree takes years to complete, but eventually, convocation comes for everyone. And with the approach of graduation, comes the next big life transition: The full-time job search.

There’s no denying the job search is a daunting task. Mingyang (Caitlin) Zhang decided to deal with its uncertainty by seeking advice. And then sharing that advice with other students.

The Trinity College student was inspired to start The Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang after acting as an economics ambassador during Program Exploration Days, a program created by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to help students and potential students consider their options. Caitlin will convocate this spring with a double major in Economics and Mathematics.

“Students I spoke to on Program Exploration Day asked what graduates with an economics degree typically do,” Caitlin remembered. “I was unsure of the best answer to this question, so I wanted to explore the topic further by connecting with our alumni and understanding their perspectives on their undergraduate studies and career paths.”

The first episode of the podcast features Caitlin’s interview with class of 2009 economics alumnus Aaron Prakash. Prakash, now a commercial account executive with Salesforce in Sydney, Australia, shared his own experience featuring the need for flexibility and resilience in the search for that first job.

The Department of Economics spoke with Caitlin about her motivation in creating the podcast. [Read more…]