Students speaking with internship sponsor

Planning Your Career

Career exploration and preparation isn’t “one-size-fits-all.” It’s “choose your own adventure.”

Investing in Your Success

You are destined to make a difference in people’s lives by leading communities and industries where change is needed most. Our student-centered approach to career preparation will help you get there. When you bring us your passions, interests, and enthusiasm, we'll meet you with incredible opportunities and a personalized plan to achieve your unique goals—that's our Career Commitment.

Your career journey can start on day one, and the earlier you connect with the Center for Career Excellence the better. We'll help you identify career opportunities that you’re passionate about, and build a flexible, customized roadmap with innovative programming that puts you on track to a rewarding career after St. Lawrence.

From individualized career coaching to career-specific courses, networking events, alumni mentorship programs and more, every Laurentian is ready to help you fill your four years with a balance of practical skill-building and experiential learning, internship, and research opportunities. After graduation, you’ll have a diverse range of skills and experiences you can speak to with confidence, clarity, and passion.

Career Planning By the Numbers

When it comes to career preparation, the data speaks for itself but the people make it happen.

73%

Complete at least one internship

#4

Alumni Network in the Country

The Princeton Review, 2023

#18

Best Career Services in the Country

The Princeton Review, 2020

7

SLU Connect Trips

Offered annually in cities like New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Boston

Student and alumna

#2

Recent grads rate our alumni network as the second-most influential source for employment after St. Lawrence (only behind internships)

82%

Conduct Research

And nearly every student enjoys at least one experiential learning opportunity

61%

Study Off Campus

These experiences will expand your understanding of the world and your place in it.

Design Your Career Roadmap

Maybe you know exactly what you want to pursue. Maybe you don’t. And maybe you’ll change your mind as you unearth new passions and interests. Wherever you are on your career exploration journey, the Center for Career Excellence team will help you build a custom career roadmap with a combination of these components. 

Individualized Career Coaching

Students and Career services staff

Whether it’s your first day or your third year on campus, you’ll have access to one-on-one career coaching from a member of our Center for Career Excellence team. 

Career coaches are tapped into emerging trends and new opportunities thanks to the relationships with alumni and employers they’ve built over the course of their careers. No matter your passions, you’ll receive specialized mentorship and guidance from a career coach who knows you and your goals. 

Careers 101

Students listening to alumni talk

Careers 101 a credit-bearing course that is team-taught by staff members from the Center for Career Excellence and a faculty member. You’re eligible to enroll as early as your first year on campus, but you can also choose to take it as a sophomore or junior. 

This course is designed to give you the practical career skills you’ll need while answering questions like: 

  • How can I find internship opportunities? 
  • How should I describe my role in campus clubs and organizations on my resume? 
  • What should I include in an introductory email to a member of our alumni network? 

In Careers 101, you’ll take away tools you can put to use immediately. Perfect your resumes and cover letters, practice interviewing, and refine other professional communication skills so you’re ready to benefit from our top-ranked alumni network when it’s time to start connecting. 

You’ll also learn how to identify companies and organizations whose values align with your own, so you can set yourself up for a rewarding career and feel proud of the work you pursue. 

Major and Minor-Specific Programming

Laurentians having a discussion

We believe your 21st-century liberal arts education is the key to tackling some of today’s most pressing issues. Our career programming is designed with this unique advantage in mind. 

While working closely with your faculty mentors, we’ll help you connect material and skills you learn in the classroom to internships and job opportunities.

The Center for Career Excellence’s partnership with academic departments is a critical part of your individualized career roadmap. Together, career coaches and faculty develop specialized career programming related to your majors and/or minors, help you build a network of supporters, and ensure you always have access to a web of personalized career resources based on your goals.

Internships & Research 

Student working with a youth

As you grow your professional network while connecting with alumni, narrow down your interests with your career coach, build your personal brand in Careers 101, and uncover academic passions with your faculty mentors, you’ll also begin to identify hands-on, experiential opportunities like internships and research. We’ll be there to help you apply for, interview for, and make the most of these experiences. 

Internship Fellowships

Interested in an unpaid or underpaid internship? We offer internship fellowships to help cover expenses and cost of living so you can focus on putting your best foot forward. 

Explore Internships

Research Fellowships 

Work one-on-one with your faculty mentor while digging into a topic that inspires you. We provide a variety of funding opportunities to enable your exploration and discovery in the lab, the field, the archives, and beyond. 

Learn About Research 

Laurentians on location

Signature Career Programs

As we get to know what motivates and inspires you, we’ll link you with like-minded Laurentians and connect you to opportunities both on campus and off that demonstrate how your liberal arts experiences can make a difference in the real world.

Learn About Our Programs
Alumni

Our Top-Ranked Alumni Network

St. Lawrence graduates are driving innovation at organizations across the country and world, advocating for change in their communities, and making an impact in the places you want to be. Best of all, they’re eager to share their insights through a variety of signature career programs, offering you a competitive edge when applying for internships, jobs, and graduate programs.

Meet Our Alumni
Students preparing food

Do What You Love, Inspire a Career

Whether you’re a member of Model U.N., a volunteer for Campus Kitchens, or an editor for the student newspaper, we’ll teach you how to leverage all the career-relevant abilities you’ll acquire just by pursuing the things you love as a student. When it’s time to meet with potential employers, you’ll share your qualifications, potential, and impact with clarity and confidence.