Barbara Hewitt

Executive Director

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Barbara joined Penn Career Services in 1998 and has served as the Executive Director since 2018. She currently leads the entire office as well as advises students and alumni interested in pursuing MBAs.  Prior to becoming Executive Director, Barbara served as a Career Adviser to students in the College of Arts and Sciences and in Wharton. Barbara holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College with majors in Psychology and Spanish, a masters in Counseling from Shippensburg University, and an EdD in Higher Education Administration from Penn.

Barbara believes strongly in the power of education to change lives and indeed the world, and has enjoyed focusing her career on helping students and alumni to take what they have learned while in school to contribute to society in their own unique ways.   Away from the office, Barbara spends time with her two college-aged daughters and husband, as well as a motley collection of furry friends including a shi zhu/ yorkie dog, a cat, and four occasionally noisy guinea pigs (at least when it’s their dinner time!).

All Posts

Preparing for Fall 2020 Recruiting

Fall 2020 will look like no other semester in Penn’s history and certainly not what any of us had imagined.  Even though we will be working remotely, Career Services is fully prepared to continue to provide all of the services …

By Barbara Hewitt
Barbara Hewitt Executive Director
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Career Services for Students Taking a Leave of Absence in Fall 2020

Given the extenuating circumstances brought upon by COVID 19, students opting to take a leave of absence from Penn for Fall 2020 who have previously completed at least one semester at Penn will be allowed to participate in all career …

By Barbara Hewitt
Barbara Hewitt Executive Director
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An Update on Career Services for Fall 2020

It has been a challenging few months for all of us given the COVID 19 pandemic and the social distancing measures we have taken. We hope that all of you are staying safe and healthy as we move into the …

By Barbara Hewitt
Barbara Hewitt Executive Director
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How to Make the Most of a Career Break

There are a lot of reasons why you may need to step away from your career for a while. Becoming a parent, looking after a relative, or dealing with health issues can all lead you to need a break from …

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6 Things You Can Do Right Now to Increase Your Job Security During the Pandemic (and Beyond)

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world of work upside down—and with 26 million Americans filing unemployment claims in a matter of five weeks, job security is likely on your mind.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty in a world that’s …

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An Unpredictable Semester

As classes end for the Spring 2020 semester, it is hard to believe how much things have changed since the semester began just a few short months ago.  No one predicted that we would all be learning and working remotely, …

By Barbara Hewitt
Barbara Hewitt Executive Director
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20 Video Interview Tips to Help You Dazzle the Hiring Manager and Get the Job

By now, you’re probably familiar with the basics of setting up for a video interview: Find a quiet, clean place to have it, make sure your mic is turned on, and—seriously—put on some pants. But with more and more employers …

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Starting a New Job Remotely During Coronavirus? Here’s What You Need to Know to Succeed

It’s natural to have first-day jitters when you start a new job. But what happens when your first day is remote? What if many days after that are also remote depending on how long the company keeps folks home as …

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5 Tools for Effective Long-Distance Teamwork

Remote work used to happen for a number of reasons; geographically disbursed teams, flexible work environments, or the occasional need to WFH (work from home, for the uninitiated).

These days, however, many of us find ourselves having to get our …

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What Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Mean for Your Job Search?

As companies move to remote work to fight the coronavirus pandemic and an increasing number of workers are being laid off or furloughed, you might be wondering if you should continue to send out resumes or just assume that no …

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