As soon as new students arrive on campus, the MSL program starts working to prepare them for their post-MSL goals. As part of their onboarding process, students are introduced to the career-related resources available through the MSL and also through the NU Career Advancement Office. Evan Goldberg, MSL Director of External Outreach, conducts an orientation session designed to inform students about upcoming events, timelines, and various career support platforms.

During the fall 1 term, students have the opportunity to attend a lively series of professional development programs, each with the goal of reinforcing a particular skill or professional development area. Taken together, these programs are designed to lead each student to a confident, informed, and productive post-MSL journey.

So far, this year’s sessions have included:

• A resume and cover letter workshop, which introduced students to the components and importance of writing a strong resume and cover letter. At this session, students reviewed samples and had an opportunity for peer review.
• A workshop on the importance of building a personal brand, led by Drew Stern, an award-winning technology executive, proud LGBTQ entrepreneur, and the former CEO of Esquify. Drew talked to students about creating and curating an authentic professional persona, and how to identify the particular characteristics and strengths that are at the core of who you are and what you bring to the table.
• A session on how to get the most from the LinkedIn platform, led by David J.P. Fisher, President of RockStar Consulting. This meeting focused on curating an online presence and using LinkedIn to its best advantage. D-Fish shared specific tips about the different sections of a LinkedIn profile; he talked about how to choose an appropriate headshot, utilize the headline feature, and describe past positions effectively.
• A panel discussion focused on finding a job when you don’t have prior work experience. MSL alumni who got their first job after completing the MSL offered tips and advice to current students who will be searching for their first work opportunity when they finish the MSL. The alums discussed how students with less work experience can present themselves in the market, what kinds of jobs might be available to them, and how to land that first professional role. They also discussed the benefits of effective networking, a topic that comes up a lot at MSL events!
• Speaking of which, a “Networking Basics” session conducted by the MSL’s own Evan Goldberg. During this session, Evan challenged students to get out of their comfort zone and engage fully with their various networks, including their contacts from undergraduate or other graduate study, from the MSL program and the law school more generally, from Northwestern University, from professional networks, and also from friends and family networks.
• A panel on consulting positions, which the MSL sponsored in conjunction with Northwestern Career Advancement. This panel focused on what consultants do on a daily basis; it featured MSL and NU alumni in a variety of business and healthcare consulting roles.
• A workshop on “case interviews” to help students prepare for the consulting hiring process. This session featured two Northwestern alums, Allie Kolberg-Edelbrock and Alastair DeNova (MSL ’20) – both of whom are senior consultants at Guidehouse. Allie and Alistair demonstrated how a case interview works from start to finish and provided guidance about the unique world of hiring for consulting positions.
• A panel for students interested in attending medical school, featuring with Roopal Kundu, the Associate Dean for Admissions at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Kundu was joined by recent MSL graduates (and one recent Public Health graduate) who are currently attending medical school. The panel gave students insight into the medical school admissions process, a sense of what makes a strong med school application, interviewing tips, and information about admissions trends.
• And for those who can’t get enough law study, a panel geared toward students who are considering applying for a JD after the MSL program. This panel featured Michael Burns, the Law School’s Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, and recent MSL alumni who are enrolled in JD programs at Chicago-Kent, Northwestern, and the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University. This session covered how to put together a great JD application, including how to portray the MSL to its best use in a JD application, and strategies for writing good essays and gathering strong letters of recommendation. The panelists also discussed the importance of finding a JD program that is right for each individual, and the many ways that the MSL can enhance JD study.

If you are not completely exhausted yet, congratulations! Career-related events are only one part of MSL programming, but there’s enough here to keep our students very busy. We have much more career programming to come; be sure to check back here for reports of future events!