Meet The Advisors

M. Cristina Fernández

Cristina joined this institution in the Fall of 2020 and provides career and professional development support within the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Her goal when working with students is to support them in cultivating and achieving their professional goals, enabling them to take the next steps in their career journeys with confidence.

Before this role, Cristina enjoyed a career in Human Services, supporting adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to obtain and retain competitive employment. She holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in community social psychology. She ensures the SNHS Advising and Student Support Center is stocked with snacks and insists she cannot get through her day without a cup of coffee.

 What does Cristina wish she knew about career development when she was in undergrad?

In short – anything. I was an excellent student, but when it came to skill marketing and job search basics, I was a disaster. Accessibility of university services looked much different back then; not everything had migrated online, and the campuses were massive and separated. We were registering for classes on paper and then waiting in line at the registrar. It seemed like too much of a hassle to so much as figure out where the career services department was located, much less utilize any of their services. Besides, I was about to enter the working world with a bachelor’s degree from a top-rated university, which I assumed would be sufficient enough to launch me toward a lucrative career. Doors would swing open, the red carpet would roll out and I’d waltz right into the job of my choice. 

Spoiler alert: That’s not how it works.

The lack of vocational guidance meant that I made a lot of foolish, preventable mistakes early on in my job search. I had a resume, but it was poorly formatted and didn’t highlight my skills and education adequately. I landed interviews, but I was routinely late for them (Caribbean Time does not apply to interviews – who knew?), wasn’t dressed for the part, and didn’t give effective answers. I wasted a lot of time before finally being offered an opportunity. I wish I had taken advantage of career services as an undergrad, even if it was just a single mock interview or resume review.

Contact

Phone Number
978-837-3537
Location
O'Reilly Hall
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