Alumni Businessmen Coach Students on Forming Networks, Starting Careers

There comes a time in every college student’s career when he or she must face the question, “What will I do when I graduate?” This question can be quite daunting, and in a world with nearly limitless career-path options, half the battle is simply finding where to start. Fortunately, last Wednesday evening, experienced businessmen and College alumni Peter LaFave (’13), Nathan Haggard (’99), and Raymond Tittmann (’94) hosted a panel discussion for the students to help them on their career journeys.

Mr. Tittmann, insurance attorney and founder of Tittmann Weix LLP, kickstarted the conversation with a personal learning experience from his law-school days, stressing the importance of seeking advice from people in the business world in order to learn and better discern the trajectory of a person’s work life. “What we really want to emphasize today is the importance of talking to people down the road that you are thinking of going,” he said.

The first step, according to Mr. Tittmann, is to get a notion of the kind of career one wants to pursue; and the most effective way to do so is by using summer breaks to build experience. Mr. Haggard, a retired systems engineering manager for Apple, and Mr. LaFave, a strategic sourcing consultant for Elevance Heath, echoed his sentiments. They encouraged underclassmen to deny the temptation to take a comfortable summer lifeguard job, and instead to embark into the unknown toward their future, whether by networking or seeking an unfamiliar internship opportunity. Through gaining experience and speaking to people in a variety of fields, students will begin to form an idea of the type of work best suited to them.

In a professional world that operates largely online, job-hunters often rely on Indeed or LinkedIn to discover employment opportunities, but the fruits of having real conversations with employers and building authentic rapport are far more abundant. “Opportunities come from connections, from people who can give you that guidance,” declared Mr. LaFave. “You want to be thinking about creating your own luck; doing that thing that feels uncomfortable, reaching out to that person.”

Continuing the theme, Mr. Haggard promoted the Desert Staff Project, a year-old startup orchestrated by the three speakers. “The idea is to support students as they try to find a career,” he explained. The project aims to connect career-seeking students with experienced alumni of the College and help them build a web of connections. To join, interested students must send an email to Mr. Haggard and, in turn, they will receive a checklist of tasks to help expand their network and prepare for a job.

Eventually, the speakers opened the floor to the students, asking them what sort of careers they hoped to pursue, catering advice based on their responses, and echoing that the “make connections” formula is an essential aspect to any and all careers.

Above all, the speakers accentuated the uniqueness of a Thomas Aquinas College education. “I think employers will certainly appreciate an education, a product, like the one TAC provides,” said Mr. LaFave. “You’re learning how to reason, you’re taking and distilling large quantities of information, and you’re learning the art of dialogue. I can’t emphasize enough how rare that is and how valuable that will be in the near future.”