Career ConneXions

In the News

Career Connections article in the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Education Series

Bombers, Career ConneXions is very excited to launch our newest program- Masterclass! This curated collection of videos provides tons of important content that is important regardless of career path. Check out more here: https://t.co/qhR2ZlqUqD #menforothers pic.twitter.com/Kg8KAgaBkR
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) July 11, 2020

Digital Speaker

Attention students! Career ConneXions is hosting one more informative session on career advice and interview tips by Bill Bagley tomorrow 5/27 at 2pm. Parents are welcome to attend
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) May 27, 2020

Digital Speaker

EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY for St. X students! Today at 2:15 p.m. the Career ConneXions Program will be hosting Dr. John Corker in a virtual event. Dr. Corker is the head of the Montgomery County COVID-19 Task Force. Check the Daily Digital email for the Zoom link. #menforothers pic.twitter.com/doXN5RWwt1
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) May 11, 2020

Digital Speaker

Attention Bombers and Parents! Career ConneXions has invited Michael Mills '01 to speak in a Zoom meeting about working from home and financial literacy. Students should check their emails for the link invitation. 4/15 @ 2:15. #longblueline #menforothers #prideinbecomingsmart pic.twitter.com/sct2GDd1ka
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) April 14, 2020

Summer Internship Program

Career ConneXions, St. Xavier's experiential learning program is open to all St. X students and offers speakers, job shadowing, internships and more. We are currently looking for professionals to host summer interns. Check out the website to learn more! https://t.co/VKTc41MNTo pic.twitter.com/shRymKdYGL
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) March 6, 2020

Career ConneXions Week

Attention Bombers! Career ConneXions has speakers and panels during Flex Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week February 24-28. Attend the days that interest you! #menforothers pic.twitter.com/OP3mQqobhs
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) February 19, 2020

Healthcare Roundtable

TODAY AT FLEX! Attention students! Today is the Career ConneXions Healthcare Round Table in the Reynolds Room. Learn more about careers in small discussions with health care professionals. FREE LUNCH. pic.twitter.com/yZwEVM2iA2
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) January 22, 2020

Speaker Series

Thank you to Bill Placke '61 for his inspiring session about Being a Man for Others in the business world. Keep an eye on the website for a video replay of this and other Career ConneXions presentations. https://t.co/IocnTyEPEr #menforothers pic.twitter.com/9crh7rQ56T
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) December 10, 2019

Speaker Series

Attention Students! Join Career ConneXions for a guest speaker on pursuing careers with mission driven companies. Mr. William Placke will be here on Tues 12/10 @ Flex in Reynolds to tell his story of how he used his career in finance to serve the underserved. Free lunch! pic.twitter.com/CHrh7ZACSe
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) December 9, 2019

Speaker Series

Attention Students: Are you interested in a career in the arts, architecture, urban planning, theater, and more? Come to Reynolds at Flex tomorrow for Career ConneXions. Lunch will be provided. pic.twitter.com/c3AO53DOLk
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) November 18, 2019

Every St. Xavier student can participate in the Career ConneXions experiential learning program. The program partners with alumni and industry leaders to provide job shadowing, internships, mentoring, informational interviews and more. Learn more at Open House Sunday 11/17 1-4 pm pic.twitter.com/RTE5CHaacw
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) November 17, 2019

Mentoring / Coaching Expo

Attention Bombers! Learn more about the mentoring/coaching program where you can get a mentor who can help in your school/work/college/career journey! The meeting is Friday at Flex in Reynolds and includes lunch! https://t.co/qhR2ZlqUqD pic.twitter.com/Q2bAwPS93n
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) October 9, 2019

Business Roundtable

Attention Students! Thinking about pursuing a career in Business? Hear about the different options available in the Business field from local professionals. Click the link to see the speakers. Friday 10/4 at Flex - Business Roundtable in Reynolds Room. https://t.co/vYK9EPrdkc pic.twitter.com/0yXQMFx0id
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) October 3, 2019

Education Series: Begin Journey to Self Discovery

Attention Students: Free FOOD! Career ConneXions begins the Education Series in Reynolds Wednesday at Flex. All grade levels are eligible to attend this session on how to figure out your career path! pic.twitter.com/zILWyJUn8Y
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) September 3, 2019

Education Series: Finding a Career Path

On Monday, many students took advantage of the Career Connexions speaker on narrowing down a career path. Speakers, mentoring, job shadowing, internships and more are all possible! https://t.co/Gc2cY9TmnW pic.twitter.com/ZITT6Si0AV
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) December 12, 2018

Engineering Round Table

Career Connexions hosted a very successful Engineering Round Table with about 95 students exploring all the options with industry leaders! Get more information about Career Connexions here: https://t.co/WLXF3ymHLv pic.twitter.com/74DzciFFKs
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) November 30, 2018

Career ConneXions hosted Rich Hidy '12 who spoke to students about 'Charting Your Course' - exploring different career paths, setting a course to achieve goals & the opportunities that a St. X education provides. Learn more about Career ConneXions: https://t.co/FpxNZ2QULb pic.twitter.com/eNnrOS5OOG
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) October 11, 2018

St. Xavier Career ConneXions 1/24
Jim Bender '91 Marketing Director, @Wendys Restaurants challenged students: Chart Your Course.Think Bigger.Confidence Rules Everything.Serve Others. He said, "Network. Shake hands. Keep your phone in your pocket. Success leads to opportunities!" pic.twitter.com/RuI8hoANva
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) January 24, 2018

St. Xavier Career ConneXions welcomed Eric Breissinger '85, President, Procter & Gamble, Canada to share leadership lessons. He said, "As 'Men for Others', People make the difference. Use what you learn at St. X. Be clear what you want to accomplish. Define it. Take the lead!" pic.twitter.com/xtK4mdoC5j
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) February 2, 2018

Andy Blankemeyer ‘05, CEO of Beacon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, presented to our students yesterday on the “Importance of Networking” as part of our Career Connections Program. #longblueline pic.twitter.com/PC2ui15Sv2
— Cincinnati StXavier (@stxinfo) December 6, 2017

"Class" is in Session!

The Masterclass program was created as a supplement to our in-person education series and is available on our YouTube channel so it can be watched on-demand at any time. Each Masterclass is taught by an industry professional with real-world experience, and the classes are designed to teach practical skills that can be applied to any career path. Some examples of topics include resume writing, leadership skills, and interview tips, though there are many other topics that will be added. Be sure to check out the Masterclass videos below, and more videos will be added frequently, so subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an update. Additionally, each video is accompanied by a workbook, which can also be downloaded below. The workbook summarizes the video, offers additional information, and gives concrete action steps that a student can take to develop that skill. On behalf of the entire Career ConneXions Team, we hope you enjoy the Masterclass program and look forward to hearing your feedback!!

Masterclass
Summer/Virtual Opportunities

Masterclass

Welcome to the Masterclass, this program is designed to give you a taste of different careers and to teach you the practical skills that you need to know for any career path.

Program Overview and Welcome to Masterclass

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Interviewing Skills

Leadership skills

Resume Writing

Don't see a topic that you want, want to leave us feedback to better the program, or want to opt-in for an update when a new Masterclass comes out? Click on the form below for all those needs!

https://forms.gle/6hhqKhYfKTY8uUim8"

Summer/Virtual Opportunities

Career ConneXions has gone VIRTUAL!

In light of the COVID outbreak, we are pleased to keep our program going strong with many options for students to engage virtually!

What can you get involved in right now?

Check out our Digital Education Resources below for some great tips on College Preparation, Top Books, Podcasts, Youth Leadership opportunities and more
Watch a speaker video or a Masterclass: We have videos from our speaker events from the last 2 years – pick a topic that interests you! We also held our first Virtual Speaker event last week with Michael Mills (Finance VP at LearnPlatform) – check out his talk about a career in Finance and tips for staying engaged in a virtual work world. Enjoy informative content about a variety of topics of your choosing with our selection of videos in the Masterclass
Virtual Job Shadows have started! If you want to have a look into a day in the life of a lawyer, businessman/woman, finance executive, or more – there’s never been a better way to do it with a virtual job shadow! Let us know if you want to be added to the list! You can expect a 2-3hr experience (after school during the week) and you can arrange with your host the best day to do it.
Informational Interviews with College Student or Professional – These 30-60min phone/video conversations are always an easy way to connect with a professional in an industry you are thinking about. NEW ADD: We have college students ready to talk to high school students about life in college – are you thinking about a specific major and interested in talking to an X college student? Let us know and we will hook you up!
Mentoring/Coaching – Would you like to get some on-going help in an area such as time management, discovering your passions and what it means for a major or career choice, or goal-setting? An adult mentor or coach can be a great 1:1 relationship with an adult in a field of study or career that you have an interest in. You can set the topics and timeframe to meet – all done virtually for now.

Email stxcareerconnections@stxavier.org if you are interested in any activity above that pairs you with and adult to get started!

Recent Virtual Speaker videos

How to make the most of your summer job – Professionalism 101

Careers in medicine and COVID task force

We, the Career ConneXions Program, sincerely apologize for the abrupt intro to the video from today's event. Due to a few technological issues, here is a brief summary of what is missed in the video. We introduced Dr. Corker who is a proud graduate of Saint Xavier High School in the Class of 2003 and Wright State University's Boonshoft School of Medicine and is committed to providing competent, passionate care for his patients. As an ER doctor, he has trained in some of the busiest hospitals in the United States, and he continues to hold numerous leadership positions in organized medicine at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, Dr. Corker chairs the Montgomery County COVID response task force and is on the front lines of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Other than this intro that was missed the rest of the video is very informative so please enjoy the video. - Career ConneXions

Watch the video here

Careers in Finance and working remotely

Overall Program Information

Program Vision

The St. Xavier High School experiential learning program (aka Career ConneXions) was started 3 years ago and is back again with the goal of deepening a students' understanding and learning through hands-on experiences and 'live' interactions. Our program vision is to connect students with outside adults (Alumni and Parents) in various professional fields as a means of discerning their passion and area of focus for college degrees and ultimately career choice. We believe this program comes at a critical time in our students' journey to discover their life's mission with the benefit of learning from those who have experience and wisdom to share.

What is offered in the program

External speaker and roundtable discussions

1:1 and group Mentoring/Coaching

Job Shadow Days

Summer internships (paid and un-paid)

Educational curriculum to provide skills such as interviewing, networking, and resume/cover letter writing.

Informational interview program that allows students a quick conneXion with a broad-array of professionals.

NOTE: All programs are voluntary and open to all grade levels

When is the program offered

We offer an educational class and a speaker event monthly during flex (the lunch free period). We offer Informational Interviewing, Mentoring/Coaching, and Job Shadow Day Experiences throughout the school year. We use the school calendar to take advantage of 'off' days for job shadows. Summer internship opportunities will target Summer 2021. Each event will be well publicized through existing communication channels at school (homeroom announcements, social media, website) and through email (e.g. Principal's Weekly). We also have a text messaging system that parents and students can opt into.

How can I get involved

For Adult Volunteers: 100% of our programming is made possible through adult volunteers. We would like to encourage participation by seeking your input on where you (and/or your company) can get involved. As stated, there are a variety of ways to be involved, from a simple skype session, informational phone call, shadow day, up to and including a sponsored and paid summer internship. Click here to see a description of the opportunities and to let us know where you and your company can have an impact. As Men and Women for Others, we thank you in advance for playing a vital role in shaping our next generation of St. Xavier leaders.

For St. X Students: This program has so much to offer as you plan your future. It's an exciting time to be part of this ground-breaking program. Click here to see a description of the opportunities available and let us know where you want to get involved.

Program Resources

Digital Education Resources

As you continue to explore your future path, utilize the following resources for your own development and growth. The Career ConneXions team has put together the following list, and would love to add to it. If you have resources to share, please send them to stxcareerconnections@stxavier.org and we will include them in this list!

Recommended Reading:

Top 20 Books You Need To Read To Crush 2020
Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs, Creatives and Professionals to Read (And Grow)
101 BEST Business Books of All Time (2020)
Heroic Leadership
Pope Francis

College Preparation Resources:
Ethan Sawyer - The College Essay Guy

Electronic Tools/Training:
Creating Interactive Excel Dashboards
G.I.M.P. (free alternative to Adobe Photoshop)
G.I.M.P. Tutorials

Youth Leadership Presources:
Ted-Ed: What adults can learn from kids
Youth Leadership Goals
Global Youth Boom is Here

Stock Market:
Basics of the Stock Market

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE2NsJGpEq4

Education Series

A monthly educational topic related to job readiness (e.g. Resume Writing, Interviewing, Networking, Etiquette).

Before and After Resume Examples
Buzz Words and Cover Letter Tips
Career Interest Survey
College Interview Preparation
Discovering Yourself Reflection Questions
Example Resume
Interview Assessment Form
Interviews Do's and Don'ts
Possible Mock Interview Questions
Resume Building Template

Job Shadow Program

A short-term experience where a student will follow or “shadow” an employee as he/she performs normal work activities. Typically, job shadowing is a half-day or a full-day field experience or tour of a business or organization. We have many slots open for job shadow experiences in the 2019-2020 school year!

If you are an interested student, you can Sign-Up using this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084DAEAA28A31-20192020

Mentoring

Summer Internships | InterAlliance and Career ConneXions

InterAlliance (IA) Hosted Internships

InterAlliance (IA) Hosted Internships

NEW THIS YEAR! We are partnering with InterAlliance, an organization focused on providing tech opportunities to high school students. If you have taken a Computer Science class you may already be familiar with the organization. The exciting news is they have 60+ summer internships with a wide variety of tech involved so if you're not interested in programming, but like data analysis you should look at these. Here is a link to the InterAlliance website: www.interalliance.org. We will be informing you of their key deadlines which begin with roles being published on 2/21 and applications being accepted NOW through March 15. There are a few key requirements for their roles:

The full process begins with you registering yourself on their website – once you are registered you will receive detailed instructions on deadlines for application.
Juniors & Seniors only
Approved Resume and LinkedIn profile required (submitted online via InterAlliance website)
10-week, Full-Time roles (a week vacation is no problem to manage, but more than that will be tough)
All Paid $10/hr
GitHub training required (several workshops offered - see their website for details)
Generally ~200 students apply so it is a competitive process
Several key dates to know on the InterAlliance process are on their website.

Career ConneXions (CCX) Hosted Internships

Career ConneXions (CCX) Hosted Internships

The application window has closed for Summer 2020 Positions. Watch your email for information on additional opportunities.

There are a few key requirements for our roles:

Open to all grade levels (some may require age 18, but will be noted as such)
Resume required (submitted online along with the application which will open on 3/6).
LinkedIn profile encouraged, but not required
Wide variety of hours required based on role - many part-time
Pay will vary based on role - some roles are unpaid
We will no longer conduct screening interviews - employers will select candidates to interview based on your application and resume (submitted online starting 3/6).
Generally ~100 students apply so it is also a competitive process
Several key dates to know on our process:
- March 6: Internship Postings and Applications Open to Students
- March 27: Applications Close
- April 3: Companies Select Final Candidates for Interviews
- April 6-10: Interviews Take Place Throughout the Week
- April 30: Offers are Made

Internship Program FAQ's

Please reach out to stxcareerconnections@stxavier.org with any questions about the process.

Video Resources & Event Recaps

Virtual Event - Mr. Bill Bagley

Presentation slides

Virtual Event - Dr. John Croker '03

Virtual Event - Michael Mills '01

Presentation slides

Career ConneXions Week:

Monday, February 24 - Jim Schwaller '87

Careers with Mission Driving Organizations- Bill Placke '61

Interview Tips - Nov 2019:

Interviewing Techniques:

Careers in the FBI

Career ConneXions Week- John Kutney

Career ConneXions Week- Seniors Student Panel

Dave Eby Presentation

Career ConneXions Week - March 2018:

Eric Breissinger '85 - President, Proctor and Gamble Canada

Dan Johnson '73 - Surgeon, Mayo Clinic

Third Annual Career ConneXions Week (Feb. 2020) at St. X draws more than 300 students!

A big THANK YOU to all who were involved in making Career ConneXions Week a rousing success! The students heard from Jim Schwaller about saying “YES” to your own adventure. They connected with Young Alumni at various stages of their careers, heard from current seniors about their college search and decision process and finally received coaching and interview practice from a number of our program’s adult volunteers. Our young men truly got to feel the power of the long blue line – thank you to all who contributed!

Videos: