Many Boston College alumni, parents, and friends share the strong conviction that there’s something special about Eagles—and those in the business community find that BC graduates bring an extra element to the table as potential employees.

“When you’re interviewing a Boston College student, you’re talking to a developing young professional,” says Lou Gaglini, associate director for employer relations and recruiting at the University’s Career Center. “The BC experience—whether through athletics and student government or volunteerism and internship opportunities—produces a graduate who is more than entry level; someone who’s already a step ahead.”

William LePage ’84, senior vice president of world wide sales and service operations at Cisco Systems, Inc., in San Jose, Calif., agrees. LePage has hired dozens of Eagles both as full-time employees and as interns and finds that BC graduates have a maturity and self-awareness that sets them apart.

“I see a lot of resumes from graduates of prestigious universities; BC students continually impress me with their multifaceted backgrounds,” says LePage. “They are excellent students, but beyond that, the Jesuit influence is very significant. In the business world, character matters, and these are young people of character.”

Last year, more than 2,000 companies recruited new BC graduates, and the number grows annually. “A significant majority of those organizations already employ BC alumni, and most on-campus recruiters are themselves Eagles,” says Gaglini.

For Michael Sawyer, P’10, ’14, ’14, a managing director at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in New York, hiring BC graduates simply makes good business sense. “These students are a value-added proposition for us,” he explains. “They’re bright, articulate, and well-rounded, and they work very hard. They’re exactly what we look for in the hiring process.”

From the University perspective, there is a natural affinity between BC alumni, parents, and new graduates. The Career Center offers a number of programs that bring these groups together, both to broaden students’ understanding of the professional world and to afford companies recruitment opportunities.

Networking events, career fairs, and more take place all year long at the Heights, and companies worldwide can join externship and internship programs, host local events, and even post on the center’s blog.

Learn more about hiring Eagles at www.bc.edu/careers.