Courtesy of Bowdoin Communications

Last week, the Career Exploration and Development Center (CXD) hosted its eighth annual Sophomore Bootcamp for the Class of 2028. The program is intended to help students discover job opportunities, practice networking and navigate life after Bowdoin.

Leah Hodder-Romano, assistant director of programming for the CXD, noted that this year’s iteration of Sophomore Bootcamp changed based on past student feedback.

“Some changes included the addition of a Professional Skills 101 lecture by Solomon Aborbie ’22, the addition of BEcamp, a full day business basics workshop run by Mike McQuillan ’15 and access to the beautiful event space in Mills Hall,” Hodder-Romano said.

However, what Hodder-Romano considered to be the biggest change to Sophomore Bootcamp this year was the role of pod leaders—select returning upperclass team leaders or CXD peer advisors who actively led efforts in the fall and throughout team leader training days.

Programming attended by sophomores varied over the three days of Bootcamp. Wednesday and Thursday’s schedules included talks on topics ranging from application strategies to job search skills. Friday was more open-ended, offering full-day workshops and an afternoon where students could choose from a selection of optional activities, including specialized networking sessions  tailored to different career fields and other workshops that covered topics including artificial intelligence (AI).

All days included “Team Times,” sessions where small groups of sophomores worked with their team leaders on skills such as resume writing, cover letters and interviewing.

“Our six pod leaders worked with us this fall to tweak and design each activity, then these pod leaders spent a day training their groups of team leaders on how to lead each activity,” Hodder-Romano said.

Neiman Mocombe ’26 was one such pod leader. A former team leader, Mocombe engaged in behind-the-scenes organization as well as hands-on guidance for sophomores over the three days of Bootcamp.

“I helped instruct the team leaders on guiding the sophomores [through] the Bootcamp process in addition to leading a group of sophomores myself. Those who attended the sessions were very engaged and eager to learn, which I appreciated,” Mocombe said.

Throughout Bootcamp, AI chat platform LibreChat was emphasized by CXD as a powerful tool for students, especially its potential value in the job hunting process. LibreChat is a free Bowdoin resource students can use after completing an online AI ethics course.

“Students are encountering AI in the job search, so we carved out time for students to learn how to best use these tools if they choose to,” Hodder-Romano said. “CXD is spending a lot of time trying to understand what employers are expecting from new hires and how AI is changing how they evaluate candidates. We are working on tools and advice to help students navigate these changes in real time.”

Team leader Brittany Yue ’27 noted that AI and LibreChat played a role in Team Times.

“Most of the Team Time modules featured places where students had the option to consult LibreChat for feedback or inspiration in completing the session activities. There was never a point in time where students were required to use LibreChat—rather, it was a resource that remained available, and CXD just highlighted some areas where using AI could be helpful,” Yue said.

Hodder-Romano emphasized that CXD support does not end after the program.

“I’m hoping we came off as a supportive office where you can come and be vulnerable about your hopes and fears for the future,” Hodder-Romano said. “Our hope is that students leave feeling more confident, but we know Bootcamp is just the beginning, and we hope to see them in our office soon for more personalized support.”