Students

Career Planning Tools + Resources

• Career Success Plan

  Need help determining how to get started with your career planning?  Have some ideas for your career direction, but are unsure about your options?  

  
  

  The Career Center has devised a four-year Career Success Plan (graduate students may adjust for their needs) to help guide your decision-making by learning how to explore (Year One) your options, gain experience (Year Two), engage (Year Three) in effective search strategies, and excel (Year Four) in taking the next steps to set yourself up for success upon graduation. 

  Through our four-year Career Success Plan, you'll receive specific actions you can take each year at the College of Charleston. The sooner you start planning, the sooner you will best know yourself, your options, and how to develop your personal career plan!

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources (including a checklist for the four-year Career Success Plan), as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center.  

• Explore Majors + Careers

  Need help identifying your career interests and determining which major(s) you should study to get there? Thinking about changing or adding a major?  

  The Career Center offers resources to assist students with these very important decisions:  

  • Career Assessments are available to help you identify and explore career paths that best match your interests, skills, values, and personality, as well as link them to the majors offered at the College of Charleston.  
  • Career Exploration tools will help you explore career paths of interest, types of employers who typically hire in the field, and develop strategies for further exploration and to gain meaningful experience. Explore career paths and strategies at What Can I Do With This Major?.

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources, as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. 

• Handshake

  Wondering where you should start looking for on- and off-campus jobs, internships, jobs for after graduation, and graduate/professional school programs?  Need help getting started with developing your professional network?  Need to schedule an appointment with the Career Center?
   
  Handshake is a job board and career management system that the Career Center uses to help connect employers and graduate school programs to College of Charleston students and recent alumni. The platform is also used by the Career Center to schedule appointments with current students and alumni within 3 years of graduation and advertise upcoming events such as Career Exploration Fairs, Pop-Up Fairs, Career Readiness Workshops, employer-hosted webinars, and more.  Current students are issued an account and may access it through The Hub.

  

  Disclaimer:

  Handshake is not a College of Charleston product, service or program.  The Career Center does not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The Career Center explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job or internship listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The Career Center is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment without limitation. It is the responsibility of students to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position. Learn more about how to spot job scams through an article in the Career Center's Resource Library on Handshake.

  Handshake
• Tailored Resumes + Cover Letters

  Need help on where to begin with your resume or cover letter?  Ready to update your professional documents with your latest part-time job, internship, research, or leadership role?  Seeking new ways to help you standout to employers?

  Whether you are crafting your resume and/or cover letter for the first time or are looking for ways to better highlight your experiences and skill sets, the Career Center has a variety of resume samples, tips, and strategies to help you best market yourself to potential employers or graduate schools.  

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources (including the schedule for Drop-In Hours to get your resume and cover letter reviewed), as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. 

• Networking + LinkedIn Strategies

  When it comes to landing your dream job, have you heard the saying "it's who you know"?  Well, actually it is more about "how you are known" to the individual and thus whether they are willing to stake their reputation on referring your name for the job.  How do you get "known"?  You do this by making connections and building professional relationships which is called "Networking". 

  The Career Center offers tips, strategies and resources to help you expand your network, learn how to open doors to new opportunities, and pave the way to a successful future: 

  • How to build your network, including through the LinkedIn platform.
  • Connect to College of Charleston alumni and other professionals in industries/organizations that interest you.
  • Ask for "advice" and not an internship or job through initial contact and informational interview strategies.
  • How to craft your elevator pitch.
  • Learn about current trends in fields that interest you.
  • Current College of Charleston students have free access to LinkedIn Learning courses through MyPortal.

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources, as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. 

• Internship + Job Searches

  Are you looking for an *on- or off-campus job, including those that are for Federal Work Study (FWS)?  Are you ready to gain experience in your field of study and find an internship? Is graduation around the corner and you need to find employment?  Wondering when you should start your search? 

  The Career Center can help you navigate your search to find opportunities of best fit. Whether you are searching for a part-time job, an internship, or for employment after graduation, the time to start is likely sooner than you may realize.  Seniors, you should begin your full-time job search at the start of your senior year if not sooner, recognizing that some industries have very specific recruitment timeframes.  Those looking for internships should start at least 1 semester ahead of when you expect to hold it, while keeping in mind that some opportunities may have earlier deadlines to be considered.  And if you seek part-time employment on or off-campus, get started at least a few months ahead to give yourself options.  Regardless of what type of opportunity you seek, be sure to check out Handshake, participate in a variety of career fairs and other employer events, and attend workshops to get prepared. Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources, as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. Students needing additional help with their search should schedule an appointment.

  *Note: Students employed on-campus will also need to go through the new hire paperwork process with the Career Center's Student Employment Program. New freshmen and transfer students are able to access Handshake in order to find on or off-campus employment before they start classes; details are shared during Orientation.  

• Graduate + Professional School Planning

  Are you planning to attend graduate or professional (i.e. law, medical, veterinary, etc.) school?  Need help discovering your options?  Unsure of whether you should work for a few years or start a master's, doctoral, or professional program directly after earning your undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston?  

  The Career Center has resources and strategies to help you make an informed decision: 

  • Participate in both graduate school and job fairs to explore your options.
  • Learn about tools and resources to help you practice taking entrance exams like the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, and more. 
  • Gain insight and ideas on how to best prepare your application materials.

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources, as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. Students needing additional help to find the programs best suited to their career goals should schedule an appointment.

• Interviewing

  Need help preparing for an upcoming interview?  Unsure of what to expect or what you should be ready to share?  Interested in learning some strategies to help you stand out during the interview?

  The Career Center can help you practice and prepare for your interviews:

  • Interview tips and strategies.
  • Typical interview formats.
  • Common interview questions.
  • Questions to ask the employer.
  • Mock interviews conducted by a staff member.
  • Access to an online practice platform.

  Current students should visit The Hub to access available resources, as well as learn about upcoming workshops and events hosted by the Career Center. Students needing additional help should schedule an appointment. 

• Book a Speaker for Your Student Organization

  Student organizations and College of Charleston Faculty/Staff are invited to request a presentation from the Career Center covering career planning and preparation topics by completing the request form below.  Up to 3 topics may be combined, dependent on the length of the presentation.  Most presentations require a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour.  A minimum of 2 weeks advance notice is required.  We try to accommodate as many requests as possible, but may not be able to do so per other programs and staffing needs.  We will confirm your request within a few business days of receipt and discuss possible alternative arrangements as needed.

  Book speaker