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“Not everything in life happens according to plan. With that, there might be unexpected opportunities. Try not to make any assumptions before trying anything out. You will likely be more successful the more you try new things with an open mind.”
Sehyun Kim (’23), Financial Management Specialist at Aon in New York, NY
🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩
We recently caught up with Bridget Ring (BA 2021, Communications & Entrepreneurship) who works as an Account Executive at Ogilvy in New York, NY. During her time at Ogilvy, Bridget has worked across an array of consumer-facing brands and currently sits on their travel team, where she works with international tourism boards to promote their destinations to the US market.
Here are a few fun facts about Bridget:
🏡 Bridget grew up in Manchester, Vermont.
🇬🇧 She studied abroad in London in 2019!
🐈 Bridget adopted her cat Momo from the cat cafe in downtown Winston-Salem.
We’ll leave you with some wisdom from Bridget:
💡💡💡💡💡💡
“The most important thing is finding what makes you happy and fulfilled outside of the office and making it a priority. Whether it’s cooking, reading, or running, you need to actively make the effort to keep these things in your life. While you’re adjusting to a new job, it is easy to want to go back to your apartment and crash after work, but making the effort to do the things that bring you joy are always worth it.”
Read more of our Q&A with Bridget at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-bridget-ring/
We’ve had this Alumni Conversation Group topic on the calendar for a few months now, and within the first few weeks of opening registration all of the spots were completely filled (these are space limited programs designed to foster dialogue amongst a small group). That’s a great way for us to know that @wfualumni are interested in this topic of finding part-time or flexible work!
Currently, this registration page has a waitlist with several alumni signed up. ⚡️If you’re interested in this topic and still want to join the conversation, please sign up for the waitlist! We’ll plan to offer a second conversation group (same topic, same agenda) for the waitlisted folks so that they can participate as well.⚡️
Here’s a quick overview of this conversation group:
Trying to find or land a solid, professional part-time job role in your desired career industry can feel like trying to spot a unicorn🦄 (it’s difficult or maybe even impossible!). Perhaps you’re wanting to reduce your work hours or dip your toe back into the working world after a career break and a flexible, part-time role would be best for you. How do you go about finding these types of positions? Who in your network could help you? Let’s talk about it.
Put your name on the waitlist at the link in our bio or stories and we’ll be in touch about another date/offering of this group. *Please note this is only for alumni and not currently enrolled students.
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/alumni-discussion-group-finding-part-time-or-flexible-work-04-29-2025-0011536
What does it look like to be strategic and smart about making a job change?
Whether you’re hoping to change job roles or companies, or make a big career pivot, it always pays off to do your research and know what you’re heading into. 👀
A recent article from Fast Company examines how to “prototype” your next career move and gather all of the information you need to make a smart choice.
💡“Career choices benefit from experimentation…smart job switchers consciously hire their next job so they can make progress in their careers. The point of the prototypes isn’t to find a job at this stage. It’s about clarifying the trade-offs you’re willing—and unwilling—to make to get the progress you want. Learning is the goal here.”
Read the full piece at the link in our bio or stories. Plus, check out the 💥free worksheet on the last slide that you can download from the article to help walk you through this career exploration process.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91231560/if-you-want-to-quit-your-job-heres-how-to-figure-out-your-next-career-move
🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩
We recently caught up with Jay Sehgal (BA 2014 Psychology, Minor in Middle East & South Asia Studies) who works as an Investor and Chief of Staff at venture capital firm MetaProp in📍New York, NC. In his role as chief of staff, Jay supports MetaProp’s General Partner in the strategy, operations, and management of their investment team. ay is responsible for ensuring that their internal processes and workflow operate smoothly—essentially keeping the engine running efficiently in support of their goals.
Here are a few fun facts about Jay:
🌍 Jay studied abroad twice when he was at Wake: Summer 2011 in India and Fall 2012 in Venice.
💻 He was part of the Student Technology Council and worked at The Bridge in ZSR.
🎩 His senior year, Jay had the privilege to serve on the WFU Board of Trustees as Student Trustee.
We’ll leave you with some wisdom from Jay:
💡💡💡💡💡💡
“Everyone will have an opinion—whether from short-form media, blogs, Reddit, your parents, or friends. You’ll hear plenty of advice, but ultimately, the decisions you make should align with your own values and goals. Start with the end in mind: think about what truly matters to you, then reverse-engineer the steps to get there. It’s okay if your path looks different from someone else’s—there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.”
Read more of our Q&A with Jay at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-jay-sehgal/
We’ve been talking to a lot of @wfualumni 🎩 who have worked in public sector jobs and are hoping to shift into private sector roles. Before you navigate from a government role into a corporate one, there are several differences between the two sectors to consider as you apply for new jobs.
Check out these 5️⃣ strategies from Harvard Business Review to help you get started and then read this recent article (linked in bio & stories) with resume tips for showcasing your KSA’s in a way that translates to private sector roles.
https://hbr.org/2025/03/a-guide-to-updating-your-resume-when-moving-from-public-to-private-sector
As career, executive, and team coach Marlo Lyons mentions in this article:
📣“It’s not just skills and actual work that differs: Job titles, business metrics, and work culture vary significantly between sectors. A government “executive officer” might map to a VP, director, chief administrative officer, department head, or chief of staff in private industry, depending on their specific responsibilities. Similarly, government success is measured by policy impact, long-term outcomes, and compliance, whereas businesses focus on revenue growth, scalability, and innovation.”
Reach out to our team if we can be helpful as you make the transition to a new industry or line of work!💛🖤
According to senior recruiter for GrowthLoop, Kathleen Nolan, this current job market is “a not normal” one. 🚩
We’re hearing from recruiters of all industries that their open job postings are getting flooded with candidate applications. In fact, many postings receive so many applications that recruiters are taking down their postings before the stated deadline. (💡Pro Tip: Do NOT wait until the last minute to apply. That posting might get taken down early!)
Whether you’ve been recently laid off from a job or are trying to enter the job market, here are 4 helpful tips to help you stand out as a job seeker.
To read the full article published in CNBC this past Sunday, visit the link in our profile or stories. And as always, reach out to our team if we can help you put some of these best practices into action!
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/30/recruiter-whos-hired-hundreds-4-steps-can-help-job-seekers-stand-out.html
Been a while since you’ve updated your resume? Whether you’re planning to apply for jobs or simply need to update your document with recent accomplishments, we’ve created a quick guide to designing an awesome resume. 💡
Once you’ve integrated these best practices into your resume, our team is always happy to take a look and give you feedback.
To learn more, visit the link in our bio or stories.
https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/resume-guide/
We know there’s a lot going on in the world right now, especially with regards to the world of work. Rather than making assumptions, our team would love to know what your biggest career challenges are currently, the type of career support or resources you need, and how you’d like to receive that support. 🫶
Take less than one minute of your day to answer our short alumni career needs survey at the link in our bio or stories.
It’s our privilege to support you in your post-Wake career journey and appreciate any information you can give us to better do that! 🎩
https://forms.gle/xPT4HjYNNz2j28Lx5
Feeling unfulfilled in your job or regretting a career move? You’re not alone—but you can find something better.
Join us for our next alumni webinar on Wednesday, April 9th, from 11:30am-12:15pm ET on Zoom. In this webinar, Certified Career Coach Hallie Crawford will help you gain clarity, overcome obstacles, and design a career that truly fits you.
Register at the link in our bio or stories!
https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-alumni-webinar-from-stuck-to-thriving-04-09-2025-0011819