AdvisingHandbook

Career Center

The Career Center offers a variety of resources for current students and alumni. It is never too early for a student to beginning planning their future post-graduation. The Career Center can help students secure an internship to get hands-on training while building relationships and using academic knowledge to broaden their skills.

There are many things the Career Center can help students with. Those things are: • Career advising • Career exploration (this is important for undeclared students) • Resume and cover letter review • Job and internship search • Workshops, panels, special presentations, and guest speakers • Career fairs and networking events • Applying for graduate school

Self-assessment is the first recommended step in career exploration. It is important to have conversations with students about their interests, skills, and personality while making major and career decisions. There are self-assessment tools that the Career Center can help with. Since the job market is very competitive, cover letters, resumes, and interviewing skills are incredibly important, which the Career Center can also help with. Through Handshake, a variety of career opportunities await student view. There, students can find job postings, events and fairs, resources, and making appointments to meet with the Career Center. Appointments can be both in-person and virtual. Walk-in appointments are available on Wednesday and Thursday from 11am-1pm/

Stephanie Jeffers can help Professional Advisors set up an account in Handshake. Here is more from the website about Handshake: https://www.smwc.edu/offices- resources/offices/career-center/handshake-login/

As mentioned above, internships are a crucial part of the career journey for students. Students are able to use what they have learned at SMWC and apply it to a professional environment. This allows the student to see what the transition looks like from a college student to working professional. Students really grow through the process of an internship. They can gain self-confidence, learn to solve problems with a team, gain different perspectives, learn about careers they are interested in, build a network, and learn more about themselves. Our relationship with alumni does not end when they graduate. They will have continued access to the Career Center’s services and their account with Handshake does not expire. This is important for students to know as they are progressing towards graduation. Instead of logging in as a student, they will log in as an Alum Job Seeker. Information about Study Abroad comes from the Career Center through Stephanie Jeffers. Study Aboard helps students be more well-rounded in their experiences and perspectives from learning through international study. SMWC students have been all over the world in a Study Aboard program.