When joining a professional master’s program one of the most significant and obvious drivers is career impact. For many years the MSC program had little to no formal Career Services…until 2016 that is. The MSC now has a full-time staff person focused solely on offering career services to our students.

The MSC program’s career advisor is a part of the School of Communication’s EPICS team (External Programs, Internships, and Career Services). EPICS offers a variety of resources for MSC students including a communication-focused job portal, one-on-one career coaching, career treks to relevant local businesses, and connecting students with internship opportunities.

The current MSC Associate Director of Career Services is Pat Messina. Pat has over 20 years of recruiting and HR experience. She has previously owned her own recruiting agency and worked with everyone from Fortune 100 companies to startups. “I love starting people on a new career path,” she said.

Pat works with MSC students on a wide range of aspects of the job search including resumes and cover letters; LinkedIn help; practice interviews; salary and benefits negotiation; and more.

What does this mean for you?

Lately, Pat has had great success pairing MSC students with new roles in companies with MSC alumni. Whether it’s filling a new role, temp to hire, or consulting, her knowledge of the talent that exists in the program, as well as the skills each student brings, could be a valuable resource to MSC alumni looking to fill roles.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact Pat directly at patricia.messina@northwestern.edu.