Julia Elrod ’20 Helps Students Succeed in Their Job Applications
By Matt Mandel '19
Julia Elrod ’20 is a math major from Oberlin, Ohio. No stranger to rigorous work, she spent this past summer in Columbus working in a biostatistics research lab at the Ohio State University through a partnership with Kenyon. The program gave her the opportunity to mentor in the statistics department on a project related to genetics. Back on campus, Elrod brings her mentoring expertise to her role as a Career Service Associate (CSA) in the Career Development Office (CDO).
As a CSA, Elrod reviews student résumés and cover letters, and offers general job application advice. She explains that typically students schedule an appointment before applying for a job.
“A lot of people have never written a cover letter before, so I can help people get started and provide them with guidance,” Elrod said.
Elrod started working as a CSA last year and began meeting with students last semester. She especially enjoys helping first years look for transferable skills from high school experiences that they can talk about on résumés or cover letters.
Her knack for working with younger students was honed in her earlier campus role as a Teaching Assistant for the Kenyon Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP). KEEP is an intensive summer academic program aimed at underrepresented students of color and first-generation college students. The program introduces first-year students to Kenyon before Orientation and connects them with supportive peers and mentors.
“I got to know some of the [KEEP] students really well. Since they were all brand new to Kenyon, they were looking for someone who could give them advice who was more familiar with the place. It was rewarding to be able to give them that,” Elrod said.
She has also worked as an Apprentice Teacher in Spanish for the Modern Languages and Literatures department, assisting peers with language acquisition. All of her previous experiences means that as a CSA she is comfortable supporting students with a broad range of capacities.
“I’ve found that most Kenyon students have really amazing skills and experiences, but are not necessarily sure how to sell themselves to employers. Knowing how much these students have to offer, it’s very gratifying helping them create résumés and cover letters that they are confident in,” she said.
Elrod has enjoyed working as a CSA and looks forward to helping people in the future. “We’re available very last minute and can schedule appointments at night,” she said. Meeting with a CSA is a great first step to finding a job or an internship, especially if students don’t have time during the day.
What does the future hold for this CSA who’s used to providing job search advice? After college, Elrod is considering entering the public health field and maybe heading to graduate school. Elrod wants to go into public health so that she can help people, something she certainly has demonstrated a propensity for through her professional experiences to date.
If students want to make an appointment with Julia Elrod, CSAs are now available for drop-in hours Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the CDO on the lower level of Gund Commons, and through pre-scheduled Symplicity appointments, including evening hours at the Kenyon College Bookstore on Mondays and Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Drop-in hours and evening appointments provide students with greater flexibility for resume and cover letter reviews. Students are encouraged to bring a draft of a résumé or cover letter with them to their session, but can also work with a CSA to write either from scratch.