Michael Kirkpatrick ’25 Conquers the Hidden Job Market

When it comes to finding your passion and career path, the line isn’t always linear. Game Programming senior Michael Kirkpatrick recently spoke to Scott Carlson of The Chronicle of Higher Education?about how an internship in Thailand led him to discover the connection between programming and aquaculture, and his future.

The Hidden Job Market

Carlson recently visited campus to talk about his new book, Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Matter — and What Really Does. Co-authored by Ned Laff, their research and philosophy is based on the idea that your future job is not a direct result of your major, but instead a combination of your major, skills, experiential learning opportunities, and interests. The job for you might be one of “many unanticipated roles you find deep within an organization,” writes Carlson. Champlain’s Upside-Down Curriculum and commitment to experiential learning allows students to understand these connections and roles before they even graduate. From internships and fieldwork to Studio Experiences, students are constantly ingraining themselves in the community and networking with companies both big and small, locally and internationally.

Interning in Thailand

How does this all relate to Kirkpatrick? Champlain students have the opportunity to apply for the Freeman Foundation grant, which financially supports them to experience a summer internship in Asia in places like Shanghai, China; Kyoto, Japan; and Bangkok, Thailand. Kirkpatrick was placed with an aquaculture company, which at first, might seem disconnected from his game programming background. But, that’s where the hidden job market came in. His assignment was to research the possibility of building a “digital twin.”

“Basically, it’s a real-time, sensor-enabled digital simulation of what’s happening inside a fish tank. It’s used to monitor operations, run hypothetical scenarios, and train operators on how the temperature and levels of various nutrients might affect the fish. In essence, the company was seeking to ‘gamify’ the process of training operators and managing the tanks,” writes Carlson in his The Chronicle newsletter.

Kirkpatrick dove right into this work, which nicely matched his background and experience in Vermont farming culture. Thanks to his internship, Kirkpatrick says his career path started to clearly unfold. Upon graduation, he will start a food systems master’s program here in Vermont. Using his skills in programming and innovative technology, he aims to improve the rural farming experience, making a difference in his home state.