As soon as you arrive on campus as an undergraduate student, the Center for Career Development and Internships’ unique Career Gateway Program begins preparing you for life beyond college.
The program offers career counseling, experiential learning, and networking opportunities that promote self-discovery and connections to potential employers. Programs and resources include:
- Career coaching/mentoring
- Workshops
- Site visits to regional employers
- Networking events
- Competitive internships
- Career conversations with industry experts
Program Emphasis & Opportunities
The emphasis of the program changes each year as you advance in your studies.
During orientation and the First-Year Foundations course, you will begin to evaluate your strengths and interests, learn about different career fields, and create resumes. You will have opportunities to connect with Career Peer Ambassadors, who will offer individualized attention and guidance.
- Get the inside scoop on events, clubs, and other activities on campus by checking out Student Development!
- Go to Club Day! Join one or two clubs and look for chances to build leadership and teamwork skills in club activities.
- Check out Work Study positions to see where you might want to work on-campus next year!
- Activate your Handshake Account external website to explore internship, part-time, and volunteer opportunities. Please be on the lookout for any events that can enhance your career development.
- Still figuring out your major? Check out Focus2Career external website and answer some of the assessments. Meet with a Career Professional external website to review your results via Handshake.
- Watch a number of videos made by professionals talking about their careers on the Wilkes Candid Career Development page.
Further your understanding of various career paths through field trips to regional companies, career conversations with industry experts, job shadowing, a variety of employer and alumni networking events, and Career and Internship Fairs.
- Attend the Career & Internship Fair on campus, check out employers coming through Handshake Events.
- Check your eligibility for federal Work Study, which is a great way to get involved and make further connections on-campus and apply for a Work Study position!
- Start exploring research and experiential learning opportunities by contacting your professors and reaching out to staff on-campus.
- Get involved with Intramural sports external website to meet new friends.
- Attend events sponsored by clubs that will allow you to build your friend and professional contacts. See all that Programming Board, Global Education & Diversity, Student Government and campus clubs have to offer!
- Do you need help creating or revising your resume? Check the Resume Checklist and the in-depth Resume Guide to get some pointers.
- Make further connections with advisors and professors in your major.
- Sign up for PeopleGrove external website and chat with someone who has an occupation which interests you!
- Does your major require an internship? Make an appointment with Career Development external website to get a head start on applying!
In addition to benefitting from the ongoing networking and career-awareness opportunities referenced above, you will be encouraged to work with the staff at the Center for Career Development and Internships to coordinate experiential learning opportunities like internships, cultivate strategic job search skills, and develop a professional brand. You can also enroll in a Life and Career Planning course designed to prepare you for employment or graduate/professional school searches and career decision-making.
- Engage in the practical experiences included in your major, like clinicals, practica, teaching or research assistantships.
- Make appointments with a Career Professional external website to practice mock interviews, perfect your resume, and prepare for your internship/graduate school/job search!
- Consider becoming a Career Peer & Ambassador to get involved in the Career Center!
- Perfect your professional pitch about yourself and conduct a mock interview!
- Attend the Career, Internship, and Grad School Fair and talk to at least 10 different employers.
- Haven’t signed up for People Grove yet? Do so now! Connect with Wilkes Alumni who are in your field of interest.
As you enter the final stretch of your Wilkes experience, the staff at the Center for Career Development and Internships offers personalized counseling and coaching to help you prepare for job interviews, apply to graduate school, and develop a comprehensive job search strategy.
- Make appointments with a Career Professional external website to practice mock interviews, perfect your resume, and prepare for your future job search!
- Connect with classmates and faculty by attending senior pop up events located around campus.
- Attend the Career, Internship, and Grad School Fair and talk to possible employers or graduate schools.
- Continue to stay involved in clubs, athletics, and work study positions to further connect with peers and staff.
- Check Today@Wilkes emails for the latest updates about graduation.
Career Readiness
You will be registered in a zero credit bearing course called The Career Gateway which will allow you to explore eight competencies all employers believe are necessary to have when you get your first job. It will be housed in LIVE and will be available to you throughout your time at Wilkes University.
This is a self-paced course, you can acquire the Competencies at your leisure. Students in their first three years at Wilkes can work on each competency at Level 1-Acquire Knowledge and at Level 2-Activate Your Knowledge and Skills. Students in their Senior Years can work on all three levels, and can complete Level 3-Articulate Your Skills. Let's get Career Ready!
This program is based on NACE findings (.pdf). The definitions external website of each competency are credited to NACE.
Career Competencies
First Year
Professionalism
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
Communication
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
Sophomore Year
Technology
Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks and accomplish goals.
Teamwork
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
Junior Year
Leadership
Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.
Equity & Inclusion
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures and policies of racism.
Senior Year
Critical Thinking
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
Career & Self-Development
Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.