Join the Team

1 August 2014

_98T6062_F.jpgCarleton’s innovative career preparation programs depend on broad support from the Carleton community. Your gifts of time and money make a difference.

“By combining opportunities for career exploration and practical experience with the skills students learn at Carleton, we can ensure that by the time students graduate they are prepared to go out and do great things in the world,” says Kim Betz ’91, director of the Career Center. “Not all schools offer the type of support to students that we are able to provide at Carleton, and that’s largely due to the strong alumni and parent community that supports our work.”

“Not all students can afford to do an internship,” says Betz. “Some students depend on the income they earn at a summer job to contribute to their tuition expenses the following year, so they can’t consider an unpaid internship. Others can’t afford the travel or lodging expenses required to pursue an internship or externship. Our goal is to remove those obstacles and even the playing field for all students.” 

Last summer the Career Center tapped funds established by donors to award 26 students grants to help them complete an internship. This summer 75 students will be supported by Career Center funds. “I want to see the numbers of both applicants and awards go up significantly,” says Betz. “Many more students need the funding that these grants provide.”      

Betz also wants to create a more robust travel fund to ensure that cost is not an obstacle for students who are interested in shorter-term opportunities like externships.      

The Career Center needs more than just money to support its mission—it also depends on the time and expertise of alumni, parents, and friends of the college. “It is such a benefit to our students that we have so many alumni and parents who care, who are willing to spend the time it takes to help a Carleton student,” says Betz. “It’s phenomenal. This community is the best resource we have.”


CareerCtr21 copy.jpgWhat can your gift support?

  • $1,000: pay for two or three students to travel to cities like Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles for an externship
  • $4,000: support a student who is completing a domestic summer internship, including travel and living expenses and any lost summer income
  • $5,000: support a student who is completing an international summer internship
  • $40,000–$50,000: support 10 student internships
  • $100,000: endow a fund for a student internship
  • $1 million: endow a fund that will support 10 student internships annually

p42-IMG_4299 copy.jpgReady to get involved? Here are some things you can do:

  • Be a Career Guide. By completing an online profile, you indicate to students that you’re eager to talk about your career path and share advice. Sign up at go.carleton.edu/beaguide.
  • Host a student for an externship during winter break (December). Contact Brian Murphy at 507-222-4446 or bmurphy@carleton.edu.
  • Can you or your employer offer an internship specifically for Carleton students? Or can you help students navigate the internship application process at your organization? Contact Brad Kmoch at 507-222-4297 or bkmoch@carleton.edu.
  • Make a gift to fund an intership or externship. Contact Gayle McJunkin at 507-222-4335 or gmcjunki@carleton.edu.
  • Post a job for a new graduate or help a student get his or her resume in front of the right person at your employer. You can help students land a job while getting your employer a great hire! Contact Andrea Kubinski at 507-222-5511 or akubinski@carleton.edu.
  • Visit campus to talk with students. Participate in an informational session about your field, how your major led to your career path, how to succeed in a job or internship, or another topic. Contact Kim Betz at 507-222-4295 or kbetz@carleton.edu.

DMI_3572.jpgLeading the Way

The Carleton Careers Alumni Board engages alumni across class years to help students explore careers and prepare for life after Carleton. “As a parent of young adults similarly facing this tough job market, I can’t sit by and do nothing,” says board chair Barb Geiser ’83. “I have information and experiences to share, and to me this type of volunteering is a natural extension of the many other ways alumni already support Carleton’s students.”