Help Students on their Career Journey
Encourage your student to learn more about Career Center resources.
The WashU Career Center helps guide students and their educational interests into meaningful work. Encourage your young adult to learn more about the great opportunities offered by the Career Center. All on-campus events and jobs are listed in our online career database, Handshake, and students can sign in to explore companies and opportunities that fit their interests. The WashU Career Center empowers students to build connections through their education, mentoring and networking.
Take a peek at our Outcome Data to see where our graduates are making a difference.
How We Help
Career Advising is one of the few services that all students at a point in their college careers participate in, and one that fosters a one-on-one relationship between your student and a member of the faculty or professional staff.
Resume & Interview Coaching is offered to your student and one of the most critical part of your student’s search process.
Employer Information Sessions allow employers to come on campus to introduce students to their company and build relationships.
Career Fairs happen twice during the academic year in the fall in September and the spring in late January or February with over 140 companies in attendance.
Road Shows happen over fall, winter and spring breaks. The Career Center takes dozens of students on Road Shows to visit industry leaders in major cities.
Career Interest Groups bring together communities of students, staff, faculty and alumni focused on highly desired career paths. Aggregating all institutional information available, students interested in exploring these careers learn fundamentals necessary to compete in these markets, make real-time industry connections, obtain sage alumni advice, share accumulated knowledge and contacts to enhance their careers.
How You Can Help
Encourage early and regular engagement with a Career Advisor and the Career Center’s services and events. We work with students at every stage, from exploring career possibilities to actively seeking post-graduate opportunities. Our data shows that students who engage with the Career Center early are more likely to have a favorable post-graduation experience. We encourage students to begin building a relationship with the Career Center during freshmen year.
Discuss and support the importance of multiple, meaningful summer experiences, such as internships, research opportunities and study abroad. These experiences allow students to explore interests, ask questions, create contacts, and make new discoveries about themselves and their career options. Our data shows that students with at least one internship are set favorably after graduation at a rate 10% higher than students with no internship.
Observe and listen to your student’s passions and strengths. Serve as a sounding board and referral service for your student to encourage exploration of these passions and strengths.
Tap into your network. According to a report from ABC News, 80% of today’s jobs are landed through networking. Guide your student on how to approach the initial outreach to your professional contacts.