Career Center News

Carls need your help! The Career Center is learning that students have not secured internships for this summer at the rate that they have over previous (pre-pandemic) years. We are also observing that student applications for internship funding (which requires an internship to be secured) are down. This concerns us. We’d like to help make sure all of our students have access to meaningful internship opportunities this summer. We’re asking parents, alumni, faculty, and friends of the college to help. Please consider posting an internship opportunity at Carleton AND ask at least three others in your network to do the same. 

The Career Center recently surveyed juniors and seniors about their outlook for the coming summer and asked if they needed additional help. Students responded by overwhelmingly asking for information related to networking and making connections. Navigating relationships in a professional context is difficult enough in “normal” times, but in our current mostly-virtual state, the rules of engagement seem less clear. In response, the Career Center will be reaching out to students in the coming weeks with resources to guide, clarify, and inspire relationship building.  Our goal is to continue to demystify and provide actionable advice and tools that will help them to take the next step towards a meaningful life after Carleton.

As the parent of a Carleton College student, your support can help to foster your student’s self-advocacy skills, which are foundational to their career journey. Through self-advocacy skill development, students learn strategies to help them take charge of their lives, maximize their strengths, and transition to adulthood with the skills necessary to navigate their chosen career; such as the ability to communicate their needs and goals, to make decisions about the type of support needed to achieve them, and to find people who will support them in their journey.

You may have heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” As it turns out, in today’s competitive job market, that old cliché isn’t quite right.

Each year, it is becoming harder and harder to make a strong impression and stand out in the application process when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants for an internship or job. Meanwhile, national surveys estimate that between 65 and 85 percent of jobs are found through networking, which reveals that personal relationships are essential to standing out in the application process

The Career Center is dedicated to assisting all students with their career exploration. We encourage this exploration through coaching appointments, programming, and virtual resources. The Career Center has also invested in using the Strong Interest Inventory to introduce students to career possibilities.

Did you know the Carleton Career Center is on Instagram? Using the handle @carletoncareercenter, we utilize Instagram to connect with students, provide unique tips and insights on career-related topics, and promote events. We encourage parents and students to follow us and engage with our content.

Carleton students and alumni have access to career coaching through the Career Center from the moment their Carleton experience begins. Career coaches are eager to assist students with career exploration, job searching, application materials, interview preparation, and networking strategies. Coaches can also interpret career and personality assessments, offer graduate school advising, and explain available technology and subscriptions.

Carleton provides support for students to take on internship experiences throughout their college years. In the Career Center, we have cultivated strong relationships with employers, including through our parent and alumni connections. These connections recognize the exceptional skills and talents of Carls and often provide internal referrals to hiring officials.

In the rapidly evolving world of work, virtual and remote positions are becoming the standard, especially among a highly-skilled workforce. With this transformation, the Career Center is responding with innovative program delivery.

Concussion Alliance connects patients with resources to manage their recovery and, most recently, established an internship program where several Carleton students have found incredible success.