Pay it Northward v2.0

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which spurred Colby to send students home into remote learning last Spring, the College launched a program called: “Pay it Northward” (PIN). This campaign was designed to help the Class of 2020 secure postgraduate employment, research, or internship opportunities. PIN proved especially helpful due to the deeply negative impact of the pandemic on the United States job market.

The results of this campaign were very impressive, and Colby has claimed that over ninety percent of 2020 graduates were assisted by this program in one way or another. This success rate was achieved thanks to the generosity of many Colby alumni, specifically those employed by the partner organizations of the campaign. 

Some of these partners include PricewaterhouseCoopers, Market Axess, Microsoft, Bigelow Laboratory, Amazon, and Fidelity Investments, yet there are many more companies and firms that worked with the College to help graduating students enter the job market during these uncertain times.

Overall, PIN was clearly a success, both for the students in the Class of 2020 who found promising entry-level jobs and for the College, as this program was featured by many major news publishers including The Wall Street Journal. The success of this campaign left other Colby students wondering whether or not the College would do this for future graduating classes or just for those who found themselves navigating the job market during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This question, though, was recently answered by the DavisConnects team, who announced in January that a new campaign, “Pay it Northward v2.0” would help the Class of 2021 secure postgraduate opportunities.

Like the original PIN program the second implementation of this campaign focuses on connecting Colby students who are currently searching for postgraduate opportunities with alumni who are looking to hire talented Colby students. The campaign also provides workshops and coaching events, led by the DavisConnects team, which will prepare students for interviews, networking sessions, and the overall process of applying for jobs. 

Specifically, some of the workshops focus on cover letters, resumes, networking, interviewing, and navigating the job market  virtually. These will all be very helpful to students who are currently looking for work, as will be the virtual “Career Discovery Day” which is being hosted by DavisConnects on Feb. 22. This event is designed to directly connect employers and graduating seniors and will surely be a productive event for all those who attend.

For students with interest in working in the financial sector, “Pay it Northward v2.0” is certainly something to consider. Not only will this campaign provide the skills necessary for networking and interviews, but it will also allow students to make meaningful connections with alumni who have succeeded in their fields of work, especially in finance. 

Colby alumni from financial firms such as Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citi Bank, and MUFG have all partnered with the college for this campaign, and by working with these alumni, students will readily prepare themselves to apply for jobs in finance and even to succeed in these applications.

For more information on the v2.0 campaign, reach out to DavisConnects or visit their website.

~ Sam Leathe `21