Harvard College encourages undergraduates to take time during the Winterbreak to refresh and recharge. OCS is one of numerous Harvard centers and departments that offer some limited programming during the Winterbreak and Wintersession periods.
Winterbreak
Undergraduate students who wish to engage in activities during the break may consider:
- Connecting with an organization at home.
- Participating in a short-term internship or job shadow.
- Becoming an Arts & Museums Intern.
- Joining OCS for a career exploration Site Visit.
- Connecting with an alumni mentor with our Firsthand Advisers Platform.
Winterbreak can also be a nice time to plan ahead for your summer or post-grad job search.
Click to learn about OCS Events and Programming during Winterbreak:
- OCS Programs
- Organization Virtual Site Visits
- Winter Break Interning & Job Shadowing Experiences
- Flash Mentoring Month
- Entrepreneurship in Creative Careers
- Arts & Museums January Internships
- Harvardwood 101 Program
OCS WINTER BREAK & WINTER SESSION PROGRAMS: JANUARY 5 – 23, 2023
Thursday, January 5
Monday, January 9
Tuesday, January 10
Wednesday, January 11
Thursday, January 12
- 11am – 12pm: HAA 101: Harvard Alumni Association Information Session
- 1 – 2:30pm: Designing Your Career 2: Odyssey Planning & Brainstorming
- 3 – 3:45pm: Navigate Summer Opportunities & Funding
- 4 – 5pm: Creative Careers Job & Internship Search Success Series
Friday, January 13
- 1 – 2pm: Designing Your Career 3: Grow Your Network
- 4 – 5pm: HAA 101: Harvard Alumni Association Information Session
Tuesday, January 17
- 3 – 4pm: Pre-Health Question Center
- 3 – 4pm: Finance Recruiting – The Scoop from Harvard Seniors
- 8 – 9pm: HAA Networking 101: Meet Alumni and Practice Networking
Wednesday, January 18
Thursday, January 19
- 11am – 12pm: Resume and Cover Letter 101 for Athletes
- 3 – 4pm: Premed Course Registration Q&A
- 4 – 5pm: HAA Networking 101: Meet Alumni and Practice Networking
Friday, January 20
- 11am – 12:30pm: Arts & Museums Winter Internship Showcase
- 12 – 1pm: GSAS: Planning a Two-Pronged Job Search
- 1 – 2pm: Leverage Your Harvard Network
- 2 – 3pm: HAA Networking 101: Meet Alumni and Practice Networking
- 3 – 3:45pm: Science, Research & Innovation Job & Internship Search Success Series
- 4 – 5pm: Pre-Health 101
Monday, January 23
- 12 – 1pm: Career Fair Success! Tips for Navigating Large Employer Events
- 4 – 4:45pm: Navigate Summer Opportunities & Funding
SITE VISITS & TREKS
Join your classmates on a 90-minute virtual visit to an organization where you will have the opportunity to network with alumni and professionals, learn about an organization’s culture and mission, explore various roles and functions, and learn about internships and jobs in the sector. Site visits are open to all current Harvard College students.
Coding it Forward Virtual Site Visit
Thursday, January 12, 3:00 – 4:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Learn about a nonprofit for early career technologists creating new pathways into public interest technology. Hear from alumna and Deputy Director, Ariana Soto as she discusses her career journey in public interested tech and shares information about their unique summer fellowship program whose apps open on January 4th! Since its launch in 2017, there have been over 400 Civic Digital Fellows who have served in 12 Federal Agencies, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Institutes of Health, and the General Services Administration. Check out the work of previous fellows on Github.
Delegation of the EU to the US Virtual Site Visit
Tuesday, January 17, 3:30 – 5:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Open to all Harvard College students as well as GSAS Master’s students and HES degree candidates. Join us for a virtual visit to the Delegation of the European Union to the United States. Participate in a briefing on EU-U.S. relations, learn about opportunities at the Delegation and international/public service careers in general, and get ideas for getting involved through programs on both sides of the Atlantic!
The Delegation promotes EU policies in the United States, which includes presenting and explaining EU actions to the U.S. Administration and Congress. The Delegation also analyzes and reports on the political, social, and economic situations in the United States to their headquarters in Brussels. Since 1964, the EU has maintained an office in New York as the EU’s Mission to the United Nations and recently opened an office in San Francisco.
Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program Virtual Site Visit
Wednesday, January 18, 1:30 – 3:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program is a community-based healthcare organization whose mission is “to provide or assure access to the highest quality health care for all homeless individuals and families in the greater Boston area.” This virtual visit will include a welcome from the organization, a tour of the facilities, and a discussion about the various paths to become involved via volunteering, post-graduate opportunities, or through service organizations like AmeriCorps.
Simon & Schuster Virtual Site Visit
Wednesday, January 18, 2:00 – 3:30pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Do you love books? Wonder what a career in publishing would be like? Learn about internship and full-time opportunities at Simon & Schuster, a global leader in the field of general interest publishing. This event will consist of a presentation from the Talent Acquisition Team and a brief panel featuring alumni & professionals working in publishing.
John Joseph Moakley US Courthouse Virtual Site Visit
Thursday, January 19, 1:00 – 2:15pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Are you interested in learning more about the law and the justice system? Attend this virtual visit to the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, MA. During our visit to the federal courthouse, we will learn more about the history of the courthouse, hear from a U.S. Attorney, and learn more about potential career paths.
Klaviyo Virtual Site Visit
Thursday, January 19, 3:00 – 4:00pm ET
REGISTER HERE.
Interested in working at an established startup in the Boston innovation ecosystem? Come learn more about Klaviyo, co-founded by current CEO Andre Bialecki ’07. Klaviyo is an email and SMS marketing startup that integrates with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. Klaviyo helps businesses own their own marketing by making it possible to store all of a business’ customer data in the same system that delivers experiences to customers.
WINTER BREAK EXPERIENCES
Intern or shadow an alum or employer in January!
Alumni and employers may offer internships (paid or unpaid) or job-shadowing experiences between January 2-20, 2023. These experiences allow students to observe and ask questions, gain hands-on experience, learn about an organization or industry, and build relationships.
Here are examples of activities you may engage in during a job shadow experience (many can be done remotely):
- Shadowing an alum or employer on a typical workday
- Attending workplace meetings
- Conducting informational interviews with staff
- Undertaking a voluntary small project or relevant research assignment
- Serving alongside an employer in volunteer work
- Discussing industry trends and an organization’s mission
- Participating in an educational tour conducted by the office or organization
Search for a Winter Break Experience
Students are encouraged to create an independent job shadow experience by connecting with alumni directly. Winter Break Experiences are also posted in Crimson Careers and may be offered by an alum, an employer, or in conjunction with a Harvard affiliate (e.g. the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship).
Log in to Crimson Careers and select “Winter Break Experience” as the position type to search all postings.
- Note that Winter Break Experiences are typically posted from September through November.
- Internships may be paid or unpaid. Job shadowing experiences are typically unpaid.
- Note that OCS is unable to provide funding for January 2023 experiences. If the opportunity is not remote, students will be responsible for their own travel and housing expenses.
FLASH MENTORING MONTH
JANUARY IS “FLASH MENTORING” MONTH
Over 2,000 Harvard alumni representing a variety of fields and professions have signed up on the Firsthand Advisers platform to connect with you. January is a great time to get advice on different career pathways, strengthen your informational interviewing skills, and expand your network.
What it is:
A platform that connects you with Harvard alumni from around the world for a:
- Career conversation,
- Resume review, or
- Mock interview.
What to do:
Search alumni profiles and sign up for informal conversations with alumni that interest you.
How to do it:
Go to the Firsthand platform, click the “Get Advice” button, and set up a password. Then use the platform to search, message, and schedule a meeting time with an alum.
What to say:
Check out the OCS tips and questions to prepare and to get the most out of your “Flash Mentoring” discussion. Questions might include:
- What was your first job after you left Harvard?
- How did you spend your summers while you were an undergraduate?
- What skills did you learn at Harvard that have helped you throughout your career?
- What are your favorite parts of your job? What do you find most challenging?
- What changes have you seen in your industry given the COVID pandemic?
- Based on my skills, education, and experience, what other career paths do you suggest I explore?
- Who else would you recommend I speak with?
Explore options, get connected, and jump start your career during Flash Mentoring Month!
ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN CREATIVE CAREERS
Sponsored by the Office for the Arts & the Office of Career Services
Two-Day In-Person Program: Thursday, January 19 & Friday, January 20, 2023
Complete the Registration Form – Deadline: Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Are you an entrepreneurial Harvard College student looking for a dynamic skill set and tool box to market yourself successfully as a creative leader or to launch a project?
Apply to participate in a two-day winter session program led by Jim Augustine ’01, a media entrepreneur whose career has spanned theater, film, publishing, technology and business consulting. He is Founder & CEO of Real Right Good, Managing Director of MUSE-Sisters First Creator Economy Fund, Founder of the League of Live-Streaming Theaters (LOLST), Co-Founder of Assemble Stream Inc, Co-Founder of Broadway Beta Ventures, Co-Founder of the Zuckerberg Institute, former COO of Zuckerberg Media, and longtime Resident Artist at the OFA First-Year Arts Program.
Workshops with Jim, sessions with keynote artists, lunch with Harvard faculty/staff and time for project work will guide you in ideating a creative project and developing it into an active plan with a defined trajectory. You will learn about:
- fundraising, grant writing and budgeting
- networking and getting your “foot in the door”
- pitching content and ideas to industry reps
- building your resume, website and social media presence
- understanding management, representation, and protection of IP
- finding mentors and advocates
- gaining access to equipment, space, tangible needs, trainings and technology
- implementing equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging as a foundation to anti-racism and accessibility
Leave empowered to make creative visions a reality on your unique path to success!
Complete the Registration Form – Deadline: Tuesday, January 10
Please contact Dana Knox or Amy DiGiovine with any questions.
ARTS & MUSEUMS JANUARY INTERNSHIPS
Are you looking to build skills and experience at an arts organization? Interested in a transformative, project-based three week experience? Apply for an OCS ARTS & MUSEUMS JANUARY INTERNSHIP!
This OCS program places students into full-time, project-based internships at area arts organizations and museums during Winter break. The program will take place this year from January 2-20, 2023. Participating organizations include the Boston Center for the Arts, Handel & Haydn Society, Casting Society of America, Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Harvard Art Museums, New Repertory Theatre, Cambridge Community Foundation, Art Resource Collaborative for Kids, StageSource, Regal Music Theatre, Dumbarton Oaks, Central Square Theater and Jose Mateo Ballet.
Projects can be in-person, hybrid, or virtual depending on organization and student preferences. All interns will receive a $750 stipend through the Office of Career Services and on-campus housing (subject to availability). The priority deadline to apply to January Arts & Museums Internships in Crimson Careers is Sunday, October 23, 2022.
See the current list of January Arts & Museums Internships:
HARVARDWOOD 101 PROGRAM
The Harvardwood101 Program will be held virtually in January 2023. Please attend Getting Started in TV & Film: Harvardwood Programs & Resources for more information. Applications will be due on November 14th, 2022.
