Career Corner: Five Ways to Advance on Your Career Path Over Break
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of the semester, and while many of you are now working through final exams, papers and projects, the end is in sight.
We wish you the best of luck as you wrap things up here on campus, and hope that you will have a chance to rest and relax wherever you are spending your break.
We would be remiss, however, if we didn’t encourage you to spend at least a little bit of time over the coming weeks spending some time thinking about and preparing for next summer, or if you’re a senior, your post-SLU future.
It’s amazing what your SLU login credentials will get you! Here are just a few resources you have access to – 100% free – that will help you get ahead of the pack when it comes to planning for what’s next.
1. Work on your resume
As a St. Lawrence student, you have FREE access to VMock, an AI platform that will give you instant feedback so you can convey just what an awesome intern or employee you will be. Visit www.vmock.com/stlawu – use your SLU login credentials!
2. Explore your options
Not sure what career path you want to pursue? Or having second thoughts about what you’ve always assumed your career path should be? Instead of asking “what do you want to do?” SparkPath asks you to think about what challenges you’d like to solve. Taking this approach can lead you down paths you might never have considered! Check out app.mysparkpath.com to create an account, and use the code “slucareers” to sign up!
If you’d like to do more in-depth research about career fields, visit Vault.com to access the Vault Guides. Use your SLU login credentials to gain free access!
3. Do some interview prep
It’s never a bad time to get some public speaking experience. And now St. Lawrence students have access to a cutting-edge platform that offers training classes and will provide you with detailed feedback on interview questions. You can even learn how to negotiate your salary. Check out TalkMeUp.com, click on the “login” button and scroll down to “log in with your org,” type in stlawu.edu in the domain name and log in using your SLU credentials!
4. Search for jobs/internships
Visit stlawu.joinhandshake.com, or download the Handshake app on your phone, to gain access to more than 45,000 job and internship postings! Use the filters to narrow down your search results and find positions in the industries and geographic regions that best suit you. And here’s a tip — click on the “St. Lawrence collections” filter to find SLU Connected, jobs and internships.
These opportunities have been curated by our employer engagement team thanks to their relationships with Laurentians who are interested in hiring St. Lawrence students! These positions aren’t guaranteed to go to St. Lawrence students, but we know that the hiring managers for these positions are going to give applications from St. Lawrence students a close look!
5. Build your network
While it’s true that St. Lawrence’s alumni network is ranked second nationally, you won’t be able to take full advantage of the strength of that network without being proactive and reaching out to Laurentians on your own.
Visit the St. Lawrence page on LinkedIn and click on the Alumni tab to search for Laurentians in career fields you are interested in pursuing. Join the “St. Lawrence University (slu)” group on LinkedIn, and send direct messages to fellow group members to set up career conversations. Learn how alumni progressed on their career path, what it’s like to work in a variety of roles and industries, and maybe even meet someone who can help you land a job or internship opportunity.
The career coaches at the Center for Career Excellence will be available for appointments (remote or in-person) though December 20, and we will be available for appointments again starting on January 2.
Make the most of your down time over break and tackle a few of the tasks listed above. You’ll be glad you did!