January @MCS graphic of snowy Yard, with January @MCS text

Harvard College encourages undergraduates to take time during the Winterbreak to refresh and recharge. The Mignone Center for Career Success is one of numerous Harvard centers and departments that offer some limited programming during the Winterbreak and Wintersession periods.

Winter Recess

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 the Mignone Center for Career Success for a career exploration Site Visit.
  • Connecting with an alumni mentor with our Firsthand Advisors Platform.

Winterbreak can also be a nice time to plan ahead for your summer or post-grad job search.

Learn about our Events and Programming during Winter Recess:

MCS Programs
MCS Programs
Interning & Job Shadowing
Interning & Job Shadowing
Flash Mentoring Month
Mentoring by Alumni
Entrepreneurship in Creative Careers
Entrepreneurship in Creative Careers
Harvardwood
Harvardwood 101
Arts & Museums January Internship Program
Arts & Museums Internships

MCS WINTER RECESS & WINTERSESSION COLLEGE PROGRAMS:
JANUARY 2 – 24, 2025

MCS January Events

(All events are virtual except where noted.)

Mon, Jan 6:

4:00 – 5:00pm: Design Your Career: Launching Your Exploration

Tue, Jan 7:

3:30 – 5:00pm: Design Your Career: Odyssey Planning and Brainstorming

Wed, Jan 8:

1:00 – 2:00pm: Business Job & Internship Search Q&A

4:00 – 5:00pm: Design Your Career: Grow Your Network

Thu, Jan 9:

12:00 – 1:00pm: Applying to Business School

2:00 – 3:00pm: Navigate Summer Opportunities and Funding

Tue, Jan 14:

11am – 2:30pm: New York Student – Alumni Networking Day (waitlist, in person)

Thu, Jan 16:

2:00 – 3:00pm: Leverage Your Harvard Network            

Tue, Jan 21:

4:00 – 5:00pm: Creative Careers Internship & Job Search Success Series

Wed, Jan 22:

2:00 – 2:45pm: Making an Impact – International Community Development

3:00 – 4:00pm: Pre-Health Question Center

4:30 – 5:30pm: Public Service Job & Internship Search Success Series     

Thu, Jan 23:

9:00 – 10:00am: Navigating Opportunities with International Organizations

10:00am – 12pm: Klaviyo Site Visit (in person)

1:00 – 2:00pm: Premed/Pre-Health Spring Course Q&A

Thu, Jan 23 & Fri, Jan 24:

9am – 5pm: Intro to Creative Entrepreneurship (in person)

Fri, Jan 24:

3:00 – 3:45pm: Science, Research and Innovation: Job & Internship Search Success Series


WINTER BREAK EXPERIENCES

Interning & Job Shadowing

Intern or shadow an alum or employer in January!

Alumni and employers may offer internships (paid or unpaid) or job-shadowing experiences between January 2-24, 2025. 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 we are unable to provide funding for January 2025 experiences. If the opportunity is not remote, students will be responsible for their own travel and housing expenses.

FLASH MENTORING MONTH

Flash Mentoring Month

JANUARY IS “FLASH MENTORING” MONTH

Over 3,500 Harvard alumni representing a variety of fields and professions have signed up on the Firsthand Advisors 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 our tips and questions (pdf) 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!


INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Entrepreneurship in Creative Careers

Sponsored by the Office for the Arts & the Mignone Center for Career Success
Two-Day In-Person Program: January 23-24, 2025

Complete the registration form – Deadline: Monday, Jan. 20th at 11:59pm.

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, Adviser to private equity firm Sciath Group and CEO of its forthcoming entertainment vertical company Empress.  He is Founder of the League of Live-Streaming Theater (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. Jim began his career as an artist, working on Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie and much more; but he quickly realized that creative control over his work meant learning the basics of business. Since then, Jim has dedicated his life to giving artists the same tools he needed to succeed.

Program will include workshops with creative entrepreneurs, sessions with keynote artists, lunch with Harvard faculty/staff and time for guidance and ideating your ideas and developing them into an active plan with a defined trajectory. You do not need to have a concrete project to participate in this program. This opportunity will serve as an introduction to thinking and approaching work with an entrepreneurial artist’s perspective. 

In this workshop, you will:

  • Dialogue with several leading entrepreneurs working in the creative sector
  • Develop personal ideas and projects
  • Discover on-campus resources and programming to help your path
  • Demystify how to access creative partners, funding, and best practices
  • Design value based objectives, pitch decks, and personal branding

Leave empowered to make creative visions a reality on your unique path to success!

Tony & Oliver

Join in an online discussion with Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Olivier Award-winning composer/lyricist duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known for their work on La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, the Greatest Showman, Spirited, Only Murders in the Building, SMASH, A Christmas Story, The Flash, Dogfight, James and the Giant Peach, and many more. For more information, visit pasekandpaul.com.

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan is an assistant professor of bioengineering at Harvard, and directs the BIONICS lab.  She is also an accomplished Bharathanatyam dancer and choreographer. She teaches workshops on the biomechanics of dance and has worked with collaborators to examining how haptic feedback interfaced can be implemented to enhance learning and experience dance performance.  For more information about Dr. Srinivasan, please visit the ArtLab website.

Vani Krishnamurthy

Vani Krishnamurthy is an arts entrepreneur and advisor for artistic organizations, currently overseeing efforts at the South Asia Institute to increase Harvard’s engagement with South Asian Performing Arts. She has founded and run Arts India US, CoCo Gallery, and has worked with Lincoln Center, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Smithsonian, and the World Music Institute.  For more information about Vani, please click HERE.


Please contact Dana Knox or Amy DiGiovine with any questions.


HARVARDWOOD 101 PROGRAM

Harvardwood 101
Interested in the entertainment industry? Applications are closed for the Harvardwood 101 January 2025 Program.
 
Harvardwood is an alumni shared interest group open to the broader Harvard community, including students, interested in the arts and entertainment. The Harvardwood 101 career exploration program is an entertainment “bootcamp” week taking place in Los Angeles from January 6-11, 2025. Participating companies in recent years include Anonymous Content, Amazon Studios, BMG Music Group, CAA, HBO/Max, Echo Lake, Rideback, Spotify, UTA, and more! An OPTIONAL virtual or in-person Winternship experience will take place between Jan. 13 – 24 (exact dates and duration of each opportunity may vary; opportunities are limited).   

To apply for Harvardwood101, you must be:

  • current student of Harvard College. Due to limited space, there is a preference for Juniors and Seniors for the in-person Harvardwood101 Bootcamp.
  • dues-current Full Member of Harvardwood*
  • In good standing with your Proctor or House Resident Tutor

If accepted, the program fee is $1500.  All Harvard College students who currently receive financial aid are eligible to receive funding from the Mignone Center for Career Success (MCS) for the Harvardwood 101 Boot Camp program fee (which includes housing), a $600 travel stipend, and one year of Harvardwood membership. Students who are offered and opt into an in-person Winternship experience will need to do so at their own expense; there will be no University resources available to support travel, accommodations, food, or other living expenses during the program. There will be a limited number of homestay opportunities available through Harvardwood (typically guest rooms in the homes of alumni), based on need and given out via lottery.


ARTS & MUSEUMS JANUARY INTERNSHIPS

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?

This program, occurring January 6-24, 2025, places students into full-time, project-based internships at area arts organizations and museums during Winter break. Participating organizations include the Boston Center for the Arts, Dumbarton Oaks, Multicultural Arts Center, Cambridge Community Foundation, Pao Arts Center, The Signet Society, José Mateo Ballet Theatre, the MET Opera, & The Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum.

Projects can be in-person, hybrid, or virtual depending on organization and student preferences. All interns will receive a $750 stipend through the Mignone Center for Career Success and on-campus housing (subject to availability). Applications are closed for January, 2025.