Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can my student have an individual appointment with someone in the Center for Career Excellence?

A. Yes, career coaches meet with students individually to discuss a variety of topics including career exploration, deciding on a major, job and internship searching, resume writing, graduate school applications, and much more. To set up an appointment, students should login to their Handshake account using their SLU credentials, click on Career Center then "Appointments". Appointment options are currently in-person with mask (career coach will be seated behind a plexii-glass shield with a mask), Zoom, phone, Email. We recommend in-person or Zoom. Alternatively, they may call our office at (315) 229-5906 or Email careers@stlawu.edu between 8-5 M-F and we will find a time that works.

Q. Is the Center for Career Excellence just for seniors?

A. Absolutely not! We provide services for all class years and encourage students to come in early and often. Please review our Four Year Roadmap for information on what students should be working on and taking advantage of in each class year. 

Q. Can the Center for Career Excellence help my student find an internship?

A. Yes! A student may make an individual internship appointment with a career coach. The student will be directed to targeted resources based on industry and geographic interests. We post hundreds of internships in Handshake throughout the academic year. Students also have access to thousands of internship postings through the Liberal Arts Career Network, the Nationwide Internship Consortium, CareerShift, Vault, and Opportunities in Public Affairs, all of which are posted in Handshake.

Q. What alumni networking opportunities exist through the Center for Career Excellence?

A. Students have access to our Laurentian network through Laurentian Connection, the University's online alumni, parent, and student community for networking and connecting, and the SLU group on LinkedIn. Students may also access many "SLU Connected" job postings sent to us by alumni, parents, and friends on Handshake. In addition to the above opportunities, several networking events take place throughout the year, including Laurentians in Residence, collaborative events with both the Alumni Executive Council and the Board of Trustees, and off-campus career treks known as "SLU Connect". Your student can also gain insight from a variety of alumni who act as internship/job recruiters throughout the year, major-specific carer presentations from alumni, and events where we work with co-curricular organizations or athletic clubs to bring Laurentians back to campus.

Q. How many students get jobs after graduation?

A. For the last decade the percentage of graduates employed or in graduate studies within six months of graduation has been approximately 93-96%. For more detailed information, please refer to the Outcomes section of the Institutional Research website.

Q. My student doesn't know what career field they want to go into. Can you help them figure this out?

A. The Center for Career Excellence offers a number of services to assist students with the career exploration process, including skill and interest inventories and personality assessments. As always, we are available to meet individually with your student to talk with them about their possible career interests. In Handshake, your student will find resources including Focus2 (an academic and career planning module), as well as Vault and Spotlight on Careers, which both offer information on industries and occupations. In addition, please visit the Career Exploration section of our website.

Q. What can my student do with a major in ______? (fill in the blank!)

A. As a Liberal Arts institution, we are not assigning a specific career direction to each student based simply on the major they select. However, there are some careers and majors that align better than others. For more information, students can schedule an appointment with a career coach, and/or visit Handshake where they can access Focus2, which has an "explore the possibilities" module. There, students are able to view a list of occupations that are generally associated with a particular major. Students may click on individual occupations, and gather valuable information including earnings, education requirements, outlook, and the responsibilities of the job.

Q. Are students required to use the Center for Career Excellence?

A. Currently, use of the Center of Career Excellence is not required in order to graduate. However, we make every effort to reach out to students of every class year and encourage all students to use our services. If your student does not choose to schedule an appointment with us, they are still made aware of our resources, as we're often invited to speak with students in the classroom k during a co-curricular meeting, and even before an athletic practice. In addition, during the first month of the fall semester we offer Senior appointments, and during the fall semester, a sophomore meeting. Students are able to learn important information about our office, its resources, and how we may best assist relevant to their class year. We repeat this process during the spring semester for First Year students. Students should be sure to read any Email from the Center for Career Excellence, follow-us on Instagram, look at SLUdent, and be active in Handshake!

Q. Is the Center for Career Excellence still available to my student while they are studying abroad? What about after they graduate?

A. Yes and yes. We work with students who are studying off-campus and graduates, up to five years out, over Zoom, email, and phone. We do our best to work around time zone and work schedules.

Q. Is there funding available to help my student cover expenses related to their career development?

A. We offer funding in the form of Internship Fellowships designed to assist with necessary living expenses during an unpaid internship experience. Students can apply online. We also offer interview travel funding which provides up to $100 towards travel expenses for job and/or internship interviews. Students can pick up application forms in our office.

Q. Can my student get academic credit for an unpaid internship?

A. Academic credit can be earned through the 1/4 credit Career Connections Internship course, or credit can sometimes be obtained through an independent study. To do this the student must work together with a faculty member who then must approve the independent study with the registrar's office.

We hope this information is helpful as you assist your student.